BJP’s Batala MLA joins Congress

Capt Amarinder Singh with Batala MLA Jagdish Sahni in Chandigarh.

Chandigarh, January 11

Batala legislator Jagdish Sahni, who had been virtually rendered persona non grata in the BJP, today joined the Congress. He claimed he would make a positive canvass ardently for his new party in the five constituencies in Gurdaspur district.

Sahni, who was welcomed into the Congress fold by Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh and party affairs incharge Gulchain Singh Charak, said he had joined the Congress without any pre-conditions. He said he had served the BJP faithfully for more than 20 years, raising a cadre of 50,000 workers in Batala. “The BJP, however, did not appreciate the sacrifices that I made. Hence, I quit the party.”

Though Sahni’s supporters in Batala have not joined the Congress, he said he would put up a show of strength in Batala in the next few days to showcase his support base. Besides bolstering the chances of the Congress in Batala, he is Sahni is expected to openly take on BJP party president Ashwani Sharma in Pathankot. His supporters claim the BJP president is primarily responsible for the party leadership dumping Sahni.

Sahni had entered into a public spat with the then Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, accusing her of indulging in corruption. But it was he who had to resign as Chief Parliamentary Secretary with the party feeling he had overstepped his brief.

The BJP refused to give weightage to his demand for making Batala a district and instead worked for district status for Pathankot and Fazilka. In the run up to the elections, Sahni had claimed he would go on an indefinite fast if the BJP gave up its right to contest from Batala.

The party, however, thought otherwise and gave the seat to the Akalis. This apparently left Sahni with little choice but to join the Congress. Talking to the media, Charak said if voted to power, he would request Capt Amarinder Singh to sympathetically consider Sahni’s demand for making Batala a district. Amarinder said Sahni would be “suitably adjusted” once the Congress was returned to power. 

Troubled Ties

• Jagdish Sahni had entered into a public spat with the then Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla, accusing her of indulging in corruption
• He who had to resign as Chief Parliamentary Secretary with the party maintaining he had overstepped his brief
• He had gone on an indefinite fast against the BJP decision to allot the Batala seat to the Akalis
• His pleas that Batala be accorded district status were reportedly ignored by the BJP leadership