Former cricketer Dinesh Mongia, 2 Cong MLAs, 13 others join BJP in Punjab

Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Mongia, together with two Congress MLAs and 13 others, joined the BJP on Tuesday. MLAs Balwinder Singh Laddi, Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa and the others joined the saffron brigade at the party's national headquarters in the presence of Union Minister and election-in-charge of Punjab Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, national general secretary and state in-charge Dushyant Gautam and Rajya Sabha member and national media department head Anil Baluni.

Mongia, a left-hand batsman, had represented India in 57 ODIs and one T20 international match. While Laddi won from Shri Hargobindpur, Bajwa won from Qadian on Congress tickets in the 2017 assembly polls.

Former Lok Sabha member Rajdev Khalsa, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD leader and three-time MLA Gurte Singh Gudhiyana, President of United Christian Front of Punjab Kamal Bakshi, lawyer Madhumeet, Jagdeep Singh Dhariwal, Praveen Deol, Jarnail Singh, Pradeep Singla, Gulsan Kumar, Vicky Mangla, Jagjeet Singh, Sukhvinder Singh and Buta Singh Dhaliwal also joined the saffron party on Tuesday.

Expressing hope and excitement at the joining of the new leaders, Shekhawat said that their joining would strengthen the party and ensure the formation of a BJP-led alliance govt in the state. "Bajwa family is a big name in Punjab. His father was three times minister and four times MLA. His father fought against terrorism and sacrificed his life while fighting against terrorism," Shekhawat said.

On Monday, the BJP announced an alliance with former chief minister Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa's Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt). The three shall be contesting conjointly in the upcoming state assembly polls.