Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary and Tajinder Singh Bittu Join BJP, Citing Congress's Betrayal

Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, the wife of late Congress MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, and AICC secretary Tajinder Singh Bittu have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in New Delhi. The move comes after the Congress party fielded former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, a decision that Karamjit Kaur and her family opposed.

Karamjit Kaur expressed regret while snapping her family's 98-year-old ties with the Congress, citing the party's decision not to give her the Jalandhar Lok Sabha ticket, which her husband had served as MP twice. "The family was shocked at being sidelined despite their decades-long association with the Congress, and that they cannot stand by the party when it comes to their self-respect and injustice with their family," Karamjit said.

The Chaudhary family, a prominent face in the Doaba region and the hub of Dalit politics, had been contesting the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat since 2014 and has considerable influence on Dalit voters in the constituency. Karamjit's son and Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary had earlier resigned as the Congress chief whip in protest of Channi's candidature.

Tajinder Singh Bittu, a close confidant of the Gandhi family and the AICC secretary co-incharge of Himachal Pradesh, also resigned from the Congress and joined the BJP. Bittu cited the Congress party's deviation from key issues and the betterment of Punjab as his reasons for joining the BJP.

Why this matters: The joining of Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary and Tajinder Singh Bittu in the BJP is a significant blow to the Congress party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab. The move highlights the internal rifts and dissatisfaction within the Congress ranks, particularly in the Dalit-dominated Doaba region.

Former CM Charanjit Singh Channi termed Karamjit's joining the BJP and Vikramjit's revolt as 'political suicide' and said the Congress went all out to support the Chaudhary family after Santokh Chaudhary's death during the Bharat Jodo Yatra last year. The Lok Sabha elections in Punjab will be held on June 1, and the joining of prominent Congress leaders in the BJP is likely to impact the political dynamics in the state.

Key Takeaways

• Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, wife of late Congress MP, joins BJP after party denied her Lok Sabha ticket.
• Tajinder Singh Bittu, AICC secretary, also resigns from Congress and joins BJP, citing party's deviation.
• Chaudhary family, prominent in Doaba region, had been contesting Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat since 2014.
• Congress fields former CM Charanjit Singh Channi for Jalandhar seat, a decision opposed by Chaudhary family.
• Defections of Karamjit Kaur and Bittu seen as a significant blow to Congress ahead of Lok Sabha polls in Punjab.