Ahead of the parliamentary elections, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP from Punjab’s Patiala, Dharamvira Gandhi, on April 1 joined the Congress party.
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Dr. Gandhi was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 as an AAP candidate, but was later suspended from the party for speaking against its central leadership. He also merged his Nawan Punjab Party, which was floated after his separation from the AAP, into the Congress.
Dr. Gandhi was inducted into the Congress at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of senior party leader Pawan Khera and Punjab Congress in-charge Devender Yadav, among others.
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Mr. Yadav said that Dr. Gandhi would prove to be a great asset for the party as he had considerable social standing. He said Dr Gandhi was attracted by the Congress’ ideals of secularism, and its commitment to protecting democracy and the Constitution.
Dr. Gandhi said he felt privileged as the Congress was the only party that was fighting communal polarisation, and the threats to democracy and the Constitution in the country. He added that social and economic disparities were growing by the day, that his sole purpose was to serve the people, and he had realised that he could do it best with the Congress party, in whatever capacity.
Sources said Dr. Gandhi is likely to be the Congress’ candidate from the Patiala constituency, where the BJP has fielded MP and former Congress leader Preneet Kaur. Ms. Kaur, four-time MP and a former Union Minister, is the wife of former Punjab Chief Minister and BJP leader Amarinder Singh.
In 2014, Dr. Gandhi defeated Ms. Kaur, who was then a Congress candidate, from Patiala.
The AAP has fielded Punjab’s Health Minister Balbir Singh as its candidate from Patiala, while the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is yet to announce its candidate for the constituency.