Those who met Congress general secretary KC Venugopal in Delhi and expressed willingness to return to the party fold include Raj Kumar Verka, Balbir Singh Sidhu and Gurpreet Singh Kangar all from BJP and Hans Raj Josan, Dr Mohinder Singh Rinwa, and Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu all from Akali Dal. Verka, Balbir Sidhu, Kangar, and Josan remained ministers in Congress governments.
Chandigarh, June 27
Disquiet among traditional Hindu leaders, who have been “politically marginalised” in the four and a half years of the Congress government, saw the party’s top leadership get in the firefighting mode on Sunday.
Days after two former ministers, Hans Raj Joshan, an OBC leader and Dr Mohinder Rinwa, a Hindu leader joined the SAD, reports of another traditional Congress leader, Ashwani Sekhri, a former Batala MLA, likely to join the Akalis in the next few days has sent the top leadership into a tizzy.
Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Rawat and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh reportedly talked to Sekhri, dissuading him from leaving the party. Dr Raj Kumar Verka and Minister Sunder Shyam Arora also talked to Sekhri.
More trouble for Punjab Cong, Ashwani Sekhri too may join Akalis; Capt Amarinder speaks to him tribuneindia.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tribuneindia.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.