Congress suspends Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar

In a significant political development, the Congress has suspended Abohar MLA, Sandeep Jakhar, citing anti-party activities. Punjab becomes notable as the state where Congress has taken strict measures against its members, suspending both an MP and an MLA over alleged affiliations with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The suspension of Patiala MP, Preneet Kaur, who is the spouse of ex-Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, followed the latter’s affiliation with BJP. Following this event, the BJP state president, Sunil Jakhar, commented that the suspension was a mere excuse, hinting that the actual target was Congress state president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.
Sunil Jakhar highlighted the Congress’s internal dilemmas, stating, “Even though Congress has suspended an MP and an MLA, it is caught in its own quandary, unable to fully expel these leaders. Doing so might inadvertently bolster the BJP.”
Rumours suggest that both Preneet Kaur and Sandeep Jakhar are considering joining the BJP. Notably, Captain Amarinder Singh had launched his party and later merged it with the BJP in September 2022. Following these events, Congress suspended Preneet Kaur in February 2023.
However, the intricacies of political regulations have restrained Congress from expelling Preneet Kaur outright. As a Congress MP, joining another party would lead to her Lok Sabha membership being revoked under the anti-defection law. Sandeep Jakhar’s situation mirrors this. His uncle, Sunil Jakhar, the current BJP state head, recently led a political coup, pulling councillors from Congress to the BJP.
This might be the catalyst for Sandeep Jakhar’s suspension. Yet, outright expulsion might diminish Congress’s assembly strength while increasing the BJP’s count. Even if the numeric change is marginal, the Congress is wary of bolstering Sunil Jakhar’s position.
Jakhar has subtly hinted at internal strife within the Congress, suggesting that while suspensions might be internal matters, larger games are at play, pointing indirectly at the Leader of the Opposition, Pratap Singh Bajwa.