No ban as such on ghar wapsi of turncoats: AICC general secretary

AICC general secretary and Punjab affairs co-incharge Alok Sharma today said there is no ban as such on “ghar wapsi” of turncoats. He added that an AICC-appointed committee, however, has to look into each case.

Sharma’s statement comes days after CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa’s remark that the turncoats who left the Congress would not be taken back. Bajwa’s statement during a public meeting in Chabbewal had come in the wake of the in-house opposition on welcoming turncoats back.

The issue of “ghar wapsi” surfaced again after former Dhuri MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy announced that he would return to the Congress fold. He was seen campaigning for Amrita Warring, the party candidate from Gidderbaha, over the past two days. Goldy had joined AAP in May this year.

Talking to The Tribune, Sharma said many leaders, who had left the Congress to join AAP or BJP, were feeling disgruntled and wanted to return to their parent party. “There is a laid-down procedure and protocol. The matter has to be discussed with senior leadership before the joining happens.”

Two former MLAs, who had joined the BJP, are weighing options of returning to their parent party, it is learnt.

“Some leaders were expelled, suspended or left the party to join AAP or the BJP. There is a need to prepare a roadmap to take on the BJP, which has eaten into the Congress vote bank,” said a senior leader.

As a result, the party has been looking to strengthen its units in nearly 40 Assembly segments, including Batala, Majitha, Attari, Tarn Taran, Hoshiarpur, Bassi Pathana, Bagha Purana, Abohar, Mansa, Dirba and Dhuri.