5 days after joining AAP, Surinder Chaudhary back in Congress fold

Jalandhar, April 15

In an interesting turn of events ahead of the Jalandhar Lok Sabha bypoll, former Congress MLA from Kartarpur Surinder Singh Chaudhary, who had joined the Aam Aadmi Party five days ago, rejoined the Congress today.

Since Surinder is the nephew of deceased Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, whose wife Karamjit Chaudhary is the Congress nominee, his joining AAP had come as a big surprise for locals. But his return to the Congress today came as a bigger surprise. While he had joined during an AAP rally at Kartarpur in the presence of CM Bhagwant Mann, he was taken back by the Congress in the presence of LoP Partap Bajwa, AICC Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary, ex-Deputy CMs OP Soni and Sukhjinder Randhawa, ex-minister Avtar Henry and Jalandhar North MLA Bawa Henry.

Surinder said, “I felt suffocated and uncomfortable there. Everyone in my family had been after me that I had taken a wrong decision and hence chose to come back.”

Family sources said Surinder’s brother Rakesh, who is settled in Canada, had returned three days ago after he came to know of his decision. He became a common thread and got him back in support of their aunt Karamjit Chaudhary. “While the family had been seeking sympathy vote in the bypoll, the quitting of an important family member, who was connected politically too, was sending a wrong impression. So, we got him back and managed to forge the ties,” said a family insider.

His cousin and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary said, “Since my father’s demise, I looked up to Surinder Chaudhary since he is my elder brother. I was disturbed since he left us. Now that he has come back, I am waiting to welcome him back with open arms.” While Vikramjit is the son of Santokh S Chaudhary, after whose demise the bypoll got necessitated, Surinder is the son of ex-minister Chaudhary Jagjit Singh. Their grandfather Master Gurbanta Singh was an ex-minister.

Bajwa said, “Surinder had some issues with the party since the tenure of Capt Amarinder Singh and even later. We were in touch with him even after he had left us. We have sorted out all issues and got him back. We did it all secretly for we did not want our plan to get jeopardised. We are in touch with our other party workers too who left us in the past few days. Surinder’s rejoining will send out a good message and others may also follow his suit”.

Issues sorted out

Surinder Chaudhary had some issues with the party since the tenure of Capt Amarinder Singh and even later. We were in touch with him even after he had left the party. We have sorted out all issues and got him back. — Partap Singh Bajwa, Cong leader