Chandigarh:Former Speaker of Punjab Legislative Assembly and senior leader of Shiromani Akali Dal, Charanjit Singh Atwal, joined the BJP today in presence of party national president JP Nadda. He had resigned from the primary membership of the party on April 19.
The move comes a few days after Atwal's son Inder Iqbal Singh Atwal joined the saffron party after leaving the Akali Dal. The BJP has recently fielded Inder as its candidate for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll. Later, many family members of Atwal had also joined the BJP.
Atwal was the Deputy Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009. He Born on Mar 15, 1937, Atwal was considered close to former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. He represented Punjab's Phillaur constituency and was the Speaker of Punjab Assembly twice. He said he left the Akali Dal on moral grounds as his sons and other family members have joined the BJP.
In his statement after leaving the party, Atwal said, "I have written a letter to the Akali Dal that I have resigned from the primary membership and other responsibilities today. I did this because my sons Inder Iqbal Singh and Jasjit Singh as well as my nephew Sukhjinderjit Singh left the Akali Dal and joined the BJP."
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Atwal said that since his son was contesting from Jalandhar on BJP ticket it was his moral duty to quit the Akali Dal. "Secondly, my elder son Inder Iqbal Singh is the BJP candidate in the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election. Morally, I think it was necessary to leave the Akali Dal," he wrote. The election for the Jalandhar parliamentary seat will be held on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. The Jalandhar seat fell vacant following the death of Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in January.
