Dalvir Goldy to confront Congress ‘parachute’ candidate Sukhpal Khaira in Sangrur on Thursday; promises to give fillip to AAP campaign

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, May 1

A day after quitting the Congress, former MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy on Wednesday joined the AAP in the presence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here.

Goldy resigned from the Congress days after he expressed his “displeasure” over denial of party ticket from Sangrur.

While welcoming Goldy into the party fold, Mann called him his “younger brother” and a “hardworking youth”.

“I have always believed that the youth should be allowed to come forward in politics and be the harbingers of change. But Goldy was ignored in the Congress. I am inducting him into the party as my younger brother,” Mann said, adding that he was welcoming Goldy to AAP on behalf of three crore Punjabis.

AAP candidate from Sangrur Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer was also there.

Goldy promised that he, his family and his supporters would give a fillip to the AAP campaign.

Goldy said he would be in Sangrur on Thursday and confront Congress candidate Sukhpal Khaira there.

Reacting to Khaira’s allegations that Goldy was under pressure from the Vigilance Bureau to join AAP, Mann rubbished the allegations.

“Khaira has already switched parties so many times and has no business making such baseless allegations. It is the BJP that used government agencies to settle scores or scare opposition leaders. In any case, if there were any allegations against Goldy, we would have initiated action and not got him here. There are no allegations against him,” the chief minister said.

Goldy said he was forced to quit the Congress after his hard work was ignored and a parachute candidate fielded by the party.

Former MLA from Dhuri assembly seat, Goldy was a ticket aspirant from the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. However, the Congress named three-time MLA Sukhpal Khaira from the Sangrur parliamentary seat.