New Delhi: Moga MLA Harjot Kamal on Saturday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Congress denied a ticket to him for the upcoming Punjab assembly polls.


The ruling party in Punjab fielded Malvika Sood Sachar, the sister of actor-philanthropist Sonu Sood, from the Moga assembly seat.


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Moga MLA Harjot Kamal on Saturday joined BJP in the presence of its senior leadership, including Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, news agency PTI reported.


This comes after Congress released its first list of 86 candidates for the February 14 state assembly election, refusing tickets to four sitting legislators, including Harjot Kamal.


Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood Sachar is going to contest on the Congress ticket from the Moga assembly seat.


“I joined the BJP today,” Harjot Kamal said as he thanked the party leadership, including president JP Nadda and Shekhawat.


“I was denied election ticket which was insulting for me” he added, while also claiming that the party leadership had asked him to contest from another place which he refused as he felt insulted by the Congress. 


“Even while visiting Moga, Sidhu Sahab did not visit my place but directly went to the Sood (Malvika Sood) house”, Harjot said, as quoted by news agency ANI.


The sitting Moga legislator mentioned that he worked for Congress for 21 years, as he questioned the party’s choice of ignoring him to field Malvika Sood.


“I have spent 21 years with the Congress, starting as a Youth Congress worker. Moga was a Congress-devoid area and I have worked hard to establish the Congress in Moga by breaking the SAD (Shiromani Akali Dal) wave,” stated the former Congress leader.


“What are her qualifications? She is just Sonu Sood’s sister,” Harjot said while criticising Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.


“I don’t have any objection behind Congress selecting Sonu Sood’s sister Malvika Sood, Sonu Sood himself can contest. The problem is Congress not giving me a ticket from Moga… Malvika Sood is like my sister but she doesn’t have any political qualification, except being the sister of Sonu Sood,” he said.


He also commented it was “below the dignity” of their positions to bring Malvika Sood into the party fold, PTI reported. 


Malvika had joined Congress on January 10.


Harjot Kamal had threatened to fight from Moga as an independent if he was not given the ticket, despite CM Charanjit Channi assuring that he would be suitably adjusted.


Voting for 117 seats in the Punjab assembly will be held on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10.


(With Inputs From Agencies)