In a sudden move, Congress Lok Sabha MP Ravneet Singh Bittu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday. During the ceremony, Bittu thanked the senior leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda.
"I belong to a martyr's family being the grandson of former CM Beant Singh. Punjab has seen dark days. PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have a lot of love for Punjab, They want to do a lot for the state. But Punjab is now behind other states (in terms of development). There is a gap to be filled, a bridge is needed to bring people together like farmers, labourers, and industries," he remarked after joining the BJP.
"People have decided to give another mandate to PM Modi so why should Punjab be left behind (in terms of development)... The BJP and RSS together brought peace to Punjab during the period of terrorism. We want the same brotherhood and unity in the state again," he added.
Referring to withdrawn farm laws, he pinned the blame on the Shiromani Akali Dal for "misleading" the BJP on the issue. He expressed that he would work to connect the BJP with the people of the state.
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Punjab Congress Slams Ravneet Singh Bittu's Move To Join BJP
Reacting to the development, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring told news agency PTI, "Bittu is my brother, congratulations to him for his new inning. But, I believe that while it is a loss for the party (Congress), it is a bigger loss for him. He was lesser known as an MP and more as a Congress leader."
Congress leader and Punjab LoP Partap Singh Bajwa slammed Ravneet Singh Bittu's work as MP alleging that he did not pay heed to his previous constituency Anandpur Sahib and the party still gave him another chance. Bajwa claimed, "He (Ravneet Singh Bittu) never answered calls or met with people from his constituencies. He was representing Ludhiana, one of the most important Parliamentary seats, and it's disheartening to see that he left at a time when the party needed him the most. I am surprised to think what (former Punjab CM) Beant Singh might be thinking about his grandson's actions."
Notably, earlier in the day, the BJP announced that it would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on its own in Punjab, suggesting an end to the negotiations for the revival of its old alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). With this announcement, the border state is set to witness a four-cornered contest in the general elections.
Voting for the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will be held on June 1, the last phase of the seven-phase elections.