New Delhi Dec 21 PTI Veteran Punjab Congress leader Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi quit his party and joined the BJP on Tuesday accusing the Congress of putting the states security and communal harmony at stakeThere is a grave danger to peace and communal harmony in the border state he said adding that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP can save Punjab Sodhi a MLA for the last four terms and who is considered close to former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh announced his resignation from the Congress on Twitter and posted the letter sent to party president Sonia GandhiI cannot accept Punjabs suffocation and helplessness Congress party has put states security communal harmony at stake With deep agony I put forth my resignation from all posts primary membership of Congress party with immediate effect he saidLater he joined the BJP in the presence of Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Bhupender Yadav at its headquarters here The BJP has announced tie-up with Singhs party the Punjab Lok CongressNoting that he had been in the Congress for over four decades Sodhi expressed his frustration at the state of affairs in the party especially Punjab alleging that its senior leadership is hell bent on destroying the border state for their personal gainsHe expressed anguish at the situation in Punjab and accused the Congress of working to divide it for votes He said he had also met Home Minister Amit Shah over the situation in the state India needs such leadership Sodhi said about the BJP top brassRecalling his association with Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi Sodhi alleged that the secular credentials of the Congress now stand demolished and rued its infighting Punjab needs a stable government which can save it and take everyone along he said Shekhawat who is the BJPs in-charge for the Punjab assembly polls slated in the next couple of months lauded Sodhis contribution to the states politics and said his presence will boost the party Yadav also praised him Several other BJP leaders including Union minister Som Parkash Dushyant Kumar Gautam and Manjinder Singh Sirsa were also present at his joining ceremony PTI KR ZMN

Chandigarh Dec 21 PTI Senior Congress leader and former Punjab minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi on Tuesday resigned from the party saying he was deeply hurt by the bickering and in-fighting within its state unit Sodhi who is the MLA from Guruharsahai in Ferozepur district was the sports minister in the state government led by Amarinder Singh who quit as chief minister in September and left the Congress in November In his letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sodhi said he was deeply hurt by the bickering and in-fighting within the Punjab Congress This is harming the party as well as causing serious problems for the state and the government he said I feel suffocated and helpless in the present situation especially when the party has put states security and communal harmony at stake Rather than taking action to restore peace in Punjab senior Congress leadership is hell-bent on destroying the border state for their personal gains he wrote Agonised with the current state of affairs I put my resignation from all posts and primary membership of the Congress party with immediate effect said Sodhi who is considered close to Amarinder Singh Sodhi said he had been in the Congress for the last more than four decades I had been hand-picked by our illustrious leader late Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji to contest my first election to the Punjab state assembly from Guruharsahai assembly constituency in district Ferozepur in 1985 he said Stating that he had been a hardcore worker of the party with unflinching loyalty through thick and thin he said he contested and won assembly polls from Guruharsahai four times from 2002 till date Sodhi was dropped as the minister after Charanjit Singh Channi took over as the chief minister PTI CHS VSD RAX RAX

New Delhi Dec 21 PTI Punjab Congress leader Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi quit his party and joined the BJP on Tuesday accusing the Congress of putting the states security and communal harmony at stakeSodhi an MLA who is considered close to former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh announced his resignation from the Congress on Twitter and posted the letter sent to party president Sonia GandhiI cannot accept Punjabs suffocation and helplessness Congress party has put states security communal harmony at stake With deep agony I put forth my resignation from all posts primary membership of Congress party with immediate effect he saidLater he joined the BJP in the presence of Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Bhupender Yadav at its headquarters here The BJP has announced tie-up with Singhs party the Punjab Lok CongressNoting that he had been in the Congress for over four decades Sodhi expressed his frustration at the state of affairs in the party especially Punjab alleging that its senior leadership is hell bent on destroying the border state for their personal gains PTI KR KR ANB ANB

Chandigarh Dec 21 PTI Senior Congress leader and former Punjab minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi on Tuesday resigned from the party saying he was deeply hurt by the bickering and in-fighting within the state unitSodhi who is the MLA from Guruharsahai was the sports minister in the state government led by Amarinder Singh who resigned from the post of chief minister in September and left the Congress in NovemberIn his letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sodhi said he was deeply hurt by the bickering and in-fighting within the Punjab CongressThis is harming the party as well as causing serious problems for the state and the government he saidAgonised with the current state of affairs I put my resignation from all posts and primary membership of the Congress party with immediate effect Sodhi said PTI CHS VSD ANB ANB

Chandigarh Oct 27 PTI Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has gone to Delhi where he is expected to meet the Congress leadership sources said on Wednesday Channis visit to the national capital came on a day former CM Amarinder Singh said he will launch his new party when the Election Commission clears it name and symbol and claimed that several party leaders are in touch with him The Congress leadership has reached out to several party leaders including MLAs considered Amarider Singhs loyalists Party leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met former ministers Balbir Singh Sidhu and Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi holding separate meetings Sidhu said he met Rahul and discussed issues related to the 2022 Assembly elections idhu was dropped as the cabinet minister after Charanjit Singh Channi took over as the chief minister It was a good meeting said Sodhi Its always a pleasure to meet a considerate gentle leader like him and exchange fruitful dialogues for the progress of Punjab its people Sodhi said on his Facebook page To a question on Amarinders decision of forming his own political party Sodhi said the former CM has not discussed the issue with him Amarinder Singh had resigned as the Punjab chief minister last month amid a bitter power tussle with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu PTI CHS VSD RDK RDK