In a huge setback for BJP in Punjab, former party leader Anil Joshi along with other 13 have joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today.
These leaders are the Hindu faces that SAD will use to get headway and project a secular image in the state.
Joshi and others were welcomed by former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal into the party. Joshi was even presented with a sword by Mr Badal.
Meanwhile, during the event, Badal took a dig at new Punjab PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. He said that now we will advance together by which the opposition will be shaken.
Earlier, Master Mohan Lal, a top BJP leader had come to meet Joshi at his home but had to leave disappointed because he was not there. Mohan Lal claimed he came to convince Joshi to reconsider
his decision to join the SAD.
Joshi, on the other hand, had left from Amritsar to Chandigarh on Thursday evening.
The other 13 leaders to join Akali Dal are- Mohit Gupta (former BJP Youth President), Surjit Kaur Shahi (wife of BJP's big face Late Amarjit Singh Shahi), Kamal Jaitley (former Deputy Mayor of Ludhiana), RD Sharma (former Deputy Mayor of Ludhiana), Raj Kumar Gupta from Pathankot Sujanpur, Surinder Shindi, Harjit Singh Bhullar, Mintu Sharma, Aman Airi, Sumit Shastri from Fatehgarh Chudia, Vikram Lucky, Vikram and Prabh Rataul from Bathinda.
After speaking out against the state unit, Joshi was expelled from BJP in July for anti-party activities.
Notably, Anil Joshi stood up against his own party and raised his voice in support of farmers during the ongoing farmers' agitation against agricultural laws. He had stated that those in positions of power are unaware of the plight of farmers. The farmers' movement continues amid the heat, sun, and rain, during which many farmers died and no one acknowledged their pain, said Joshi.
Following his statement, the party's high command jumped into action, serving him a show-cause notice and later expelled him.