Senior BJP leaders led by former minister Anil Joshi join Akali Dal

Senior BJP leaders including former minister Anil Joshi, former MLA Sukhjit Kaur Sahi and others on Friday joined SAD here, after quitting their parent party in support of farmers and their cause. The leaders were welcomed into the SAD by its President Sukhbir Singh Badal and the senior party leadership at a function held at party head office.

Terming the induction of the senior BJP leaders into the SAD fold as a historic event, the SAD President said the joining of former minister Anil Joshi and other senior BJP leaders into the SAD had sent a clear message to those trying to create insecurity amongst urbanites that SAD was committed to its vision of peace and communal harmony.

“I will forfeit my life but won’t let peace and communal harmony of Punjab be destroyed at any cost,” Badal said. He also led the party in passing a resolution dedicating the historic day to the Kisani Sangharsh as well as supreme sacrifice made by Sant Harchand Singh Longowal for the cause of communal harmony.

Asserting that Anil Joshi was a courageous leader who had always done his utmost for his constituency as well as the holy city of Amritsar, Sukhbir Badal announced that Joshi had been appointed Senior Vice President of the party and would be fielded from the Amritsar North constituency as the joint SAD-BSP alliance candidate.

He also announced that former Sujanpur municipal committee President Raj Kumar Gupta had been appointed Vice President of the party and would be fielded as the joint SAD-BSP alliance candidate from Sujanpur.

Other leaders who were inducted into the SAD today and given key posts include former Dasuya legislator Sukhjit Kaur Shahi, BJP State working committee member Kamal Chaitly and former Ludhiana deputy Mayor R D Sharma as Vice Presidents.

Former BJP youth wing state President Mohit Gupta has been appointed General Secretary while former Fatehgarh Churian president Surinder Chhindi and TV Panelist Harjit Bhullar, former councilor Mintu Sharma, Amritsar councilor Aman Aery, Working Committee member Sumit Shastri and Bathinda district cashier Vikram Lucky appointed Joint Secretaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Joshi said the SAD-BJP alliance had been stitched by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and was done to remove the frictions in society after a period of terrorism. He said the alliance had sent out a message of peace and had resulted in tranquility and prosperity in Punjab.