DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu on Tuesday became the third Congress leader in Punjab after two former MLAs -- Gurpreet Singh GP and Raj Kumar Chabbewal -- to switch sides in less than three weeks. Three-time MP Bittu Tuesday joined the BJP in Delhi and said people have made up their mind to elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power again.

Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a terror attack in 1995.

Ahead of parliamentary elections, former Congress MLA from Bassi Pathana Gurpreet GP joined the Aam Aadmi Party on March 9 and was later declared as party candidate for the Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha seat.

The second leader who quit the Congress was Raj Kumar Chabbewal who also joined the AAP, the ruling party in Punjab, on March 15. He was the legislator from Chabbewal assembly constituency in Hoshiarpur district and was also the Congress' deputy leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

Reacting to Bittu's move of leaving the Congress and joining the BJP, Punjab Congress leaders said people will not forgive Bittu for "gaddari" (betrayal).

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said he spoke to Bittu on Monday night and he did not talk about any problem with the party.

"Bittu was connected with the party leadership and he could talk to Rahul (Gandhi) ji anytime," said Warring.

Asked whether he was not going to be given the ticket for the Lok Sabha polls, Warring said there was no such thing.

"Remember...whosoever is leaving the party be it Chabbewal, Gurpreet GP and now Bittu, people will not forgive them," he said. "Bittu is my brother. He should not have left the party this way," said Warring.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said Bittu was given the ticket twice from Ludhiana.

"I want to tell Bittu that he himself cut his neck with this step. He will now contest from the BJP. People of Punjab will not forgive him for committing 'gaddari'," Bajwa told reporters.

"Till yesterday, you (Bittu) were holding rallies for the Congress. You are the grandson of late Beant Singh. At least you should have informed (the party) that you are leaving," said Bajwa.

Replying to a question, Bajwa said Bittu would be losing by two lakh votes.

He said a new Congress candidate will defeat him in the elections. Bajwa took a swipe at the BJP, saying the saffron party does not have its own candidates for fighting the elections.
(editor@dailyworld.in)