Amritsar, August 23

In the run up to the 2022 Assembly poll, former state minister Anil Joshi, who had joined the SAD recently, hinted at a “mass exodus” from the Punjab unit of the saffron party. Today, he paid obeisance at the Golden Temple and Durgiana Mandir to start his new political innings from the SAD.

“The Akali Dal is not new for me. They are the same old colleagues with whom I have worked for a decade while being part of their alliance partner. Our focus will be to work for the betterment of Punjab. I pray to the Almighty to give me strength to live up to people’s expectations,” he said.

Along with him, at least 13 BJP leaders had joined the SAD while showing their solidarity with farmers.

On August 28, Joshi has scheduled a ‘show of strength’ programme. “Many likeminded BJP leaders will join the SAD in the presence of president Sukhbir Singh Badal. They also realised that amid adverse weather conditions, farmers continued to fight for their rights despite many losing lives, but those in power never realised their pain,” he said. — TNS