Congress be stripped of LoP post in Punjab House, says BJP's Sunil Jakhar

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar has demanded that Congress be stripped of the post of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly "in view of the party and the ruling AAP becoming allies" in the newly launched alliance (INDIA) of 26 Opposition parties. He told ET that no rule or precedent allowed an ally of the ruling party to hold the post and, therefore, he would soon send a letter to the Speaker, demanding that LoP post be taken away from Congress.

"Everybody saw how Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhis and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann sat together, as part of leaders of 26 Opposition parties, last week in Bengaluru and announced the formation of their alliance and released a joint statement. With that, Congress ceases to be an Opposition party in Punjab as it is now an ally of the ruling AAP. I will soon write to the Punjab assembly Speaker, formally placing our party's demand for taking away the LoP's post from Congress," Jakhar said.

Congress' Pratap Singh Bajwa is currently LoP in the assembly. AAP's sweeping victory in the Punjab polls last year left no other party with enough seats or vote percentage to get the post. Besides trying to rid Congress of the post, Jakhar's demand is also meant to declare to Punjab Congress leaders and workers that they can't anymore credibly fight the ruling AAP. His move coincides with simmering discontent within Punjab and Delhi Congress units over Congress and AAP joining hands at the national level and on the issue of Delhi ordinance.

"With the Congress now becoming a junior ally of AAP in Punjab, BJP is the only credible opposition party against the AAP regime," Jakhar said. "I heard some corrupt Congress leaders of Punjab and their supporters in AICC pushed for this surrender in order to save themselves from Punjab government's investigations. For every political worker and activist of Punjab who wants to fight against the misdeeds of the state government, BJP is the natural opposition party."

Jakhar, who was Punjab PCC chief till last year, said: "AAP first emerged in Delhi by targeting Congress and yet AICC then extended support to the (short-lived) first Kejriwal government and that finished the Delhi Congress unit. AICC's decision now to give in to Kejriwal's demand for opposing the ordinance and join hands with AAP in the alliance meant not only whatever was left of Delhi Congress is buried but also meant the leadership similarly sacrificed the Punjab Congress."