Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: BJP Faces Setback As Senior Leaders Sukhvinder Mandi And Jai Parkash Gupta Join Congress; VIDEO

Chandigarh: Suffering for ruling BJP in Haryana seemed to be far from over with some more of its senior leaders quitting the party to join Congress on Saturday ahead of the October 5 assembly poll in the state.

A day after BJP former minister and state OBC chief Karan Dev Kamboj joined the Congress, Haryana BJP Kisan Morcha state president and former legislator Sukhvinder Mandi joined Congress on Saturday. He was welcomed into the party fold by party state president Udai Bhan and former two-time chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in New Delhi.

Mandi had won 2014 election on BJP ticket from Bhadra seat in 2014 but lost to Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) candidate Naina Chautala in 2019. He was upset after being denied the party ticket this time.

The saffron party also suffered another major jolt in Karnal as a former minister and two-time MLA Jai Parkash Gupta who quit the party on Friday joined Congress on Saturday. He was also welcomed into the party at Udai Bhan and Hooda in Delhi. He had won from Karnal in 1991 on Congress ticket and again in 2000 as an independent.

A seasoned politician, Gupta, remained chairman of the Karnal market committee in 1984 had also fought seven elections but could make it to the state assembly twice. He joined BJP in 2019.

Among others who jumped ship included former chairman of Karnal municipal council Balwinder Kalra, former BJP media coordinator Harpal Kalampura. Another BJP leader who quit the party included Ramesh Batterywala, Barwala Municipal Committee chairman.