Chandigarh: Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP from Punjab's Patiala, Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, joined the Congress on Monday in the presence of senior party leaders in New Delhi. Dr Gandhi, who had formed his own outfit, Nawan Punjab Party, after quitting AAP, has merged his party with Congress.
He had joined the AAP in 2013 and won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Patiala by defeating Preneet Kaur, wife of former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh, by 20,942 votes. He, however, became disillusioned with AAP and quit it. Prior to 2019 elections, Dr Gandhi formed his own outfit, Nawan Punjab Party. He had then stood third in the elections.
With Dr Gandhi joining Congress, the latter will be able to strengthen its base in Patiala. It is likely that he will be fielded from Patiala seat because Congress had been looking for an effective face for this seat for a long time. In such a situation, he will be contesting against Parneet Kaur, who is a BJP candidate from Patiala, for the second time.
Dr Gandhi, a resident of Patiala, is a heart specialist by profession and has a good hold in this area. He is the only leader who could defeat Praneet Kaur in the latter's career.
He was welcomed by Congress leader Pawan Khera and Devender Yadav, AICC-in-charge for Punjab, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, state party chief and Pratap Singh Bajwa, CLP leader. Notably, Dr Gandhi had joined Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in its Punjab leg in 2023.
Earlier, many AAP leaders and Congress MP from Ludhiana, Ravneet Bittu had joined the BJP.
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