Dissident AAP MLA Manshahia dumps Khaira to join Congress

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Nazar Singh Manshahia, who revolted against the party leadership last year to back Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, joined the Congress on Thursday.

The Mansa MLA defected to the ruling party here in the presence of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and rural development minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa. “His joining will strengthen the Congress. It is a clear sign of complete disillusionment within the AAP,” Amarinder said in a statement.

Manshahia also resigned from the membership of the state assembly. “As my decision to join the Congress would have attracted disqualification under the anti-defection law, I have sent my resignation as MLA to the speaker,” he told HT. On whether he would seek re-election as candidate of the Congress in the bypoll once the seat is declared vacant, he said the party leadership would take the call.

His defection is a setback for Khaira who formed his separate Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) after quitting the AAP and is contesting from the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency. The Mansa assembly constituency is part of the Bathinda parliamentary seat and he was counting on his support.

AAP leader and leader of opposition Harpal Singh Cheema said that Manshahia betrayed the people who elected him by voting against the Congress and SAD. “The Congress efforts to poach on MLAs of other parties show its desperation and lack of confidence going into Lok Sabha polls,” he said.

A first-time MLA, Manshahia was among the seven legislators who sided with Khaira after he was removed from the post of the leader of opposition in Punjab assembly in July year. Though Khaira and Jaitu MLA Baldev Singh, who is the PEP candidate from Faridkot, resigned from the AAP, he and four other dissident MLAs remained in the party. They supported Khaira when he floated the new party. Manshahia also campaigned for Khaira in Bathinda a week ago.

First Published: Apr 26, 2019 06:27 IST