ANIL JOSHI SET TO JOIN AKALI DAL ON AUGUST 20
BJP had on July 10 expelled ex-minister terming his outburst against the state and central leadership on mishandling the farm protests as anti-party
CHANDIGARH : Former Punjab cabinet minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Joshi along with other saffron party leaders is all set to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Chandigarh on August 20.
Joshi will be inducted into the SAD fold by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, it is learnt.
“We found that only SAD can serve the interests of all Punjabis,” said Joshi, confirming his joining schedule.
CHANDIGARH : Former Punjab cabinet minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Anil Joshi along with other saffron party leaders is all set to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Chandigarh on August 20.
Joshi will be inducted into the SAD fold by party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, it is learnt.
Former Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state chief Mohit Gupta, who hails from Bathinda, a former ex-MLA from Hoshiarpur district, a former Ludhiana deputy mayor and a party leader who contested the previous assembly polls from Ludhiana district are among others likely to switch over to SAD.
“We found that only SAD can serve the interests of all Punjabis. We have already worked closely with the Akali Dal both at the government and the organisations levels,” said Joshi, confirming his joining schedule.
The BJP in July had expelled Joshi for six years after he criticised state and the central leadership for mishandling the farm agitation.
Interestingly, Joshi’s relationship with the SAD was not so cordial when he was local bodies minister during the Parkash Singh Badal-led previous government in Punjab.
In 2015, Joshi as minister had compared the then SAD-led state government’s rule with that of Aurangzeb’s after his brother was attacked allegedly by Akali workers in Tarn Taran.
“These are things of the past now. When you run a coalition government such things happen sometimes,” said Joshi.
Also, he will be fielded by SAD from the Amritsar North assembly segment, which he has represented twice, in the 2022 Punjab elections.
According to the Akali DalBahujan Samaj Party coalition agreement, the latter is to field its candidate from the Amritsar North constituency but the seat is likely to be taken back by replacing it.
Joshi’s switchover to the SAD is seen as a major shot in the arm for the SAD which has dearth of firebrand Hindu faces, especially in urban areas.
Only SAD can serve the interests of all Punjabis. We have worked closely with the Akali Dal. ANIL JOSHI, ex-BJP minister