Ex-AAP leader joins Congress in Punjab

Former senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Yamini Gomar joined the Congress party in Punjab on Sunday.

Gomar, who is from the Dalit community and was a member of the AAP national executive and the party's candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha election from the Hoshiarpur parliamentary constituency, was welcomed by Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh.

She told the media here that she had quit the AAP earlier this month as the party had deviated from its ideology for Punjab.

While resigning from the primary membership of AAP, Gomar alleged that AAP has become "dictatorial" and "corrupt".

She said that the AAP leadership has become "anti-Dalit, "anti-Sikh" and "anti-Punjab".

Gomar alleged that AAP volunteers in Punjab have been reduced to being slaves of AAP leaders and observers from outside the state.

She accused AAP national leaders Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak of manipulation in allotment of tickets and managing affairs of the party in Punjab.

Gomar had polled over 2.13 lakh votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha election from the Hoshiarpur reserved seat. She finished third behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress candidates.

The Dalit community comprises nearly 32 per cent of Punjab's total population of over 2.8 crore.

Elections to 117 assembly seats in Punjab are likely to be held early next year.

The AAP Punjab unit had dismissed her resignation from the party, saying that she did so as she did not get a party ticket to contest assembly polls.

Punjab AAP convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich said that "not getting the ticket prompted her to do what she did".

"Yamini Gomar has betrayed the cause of Dalits in the state. It's a historic moment for the Dalits of the state that party has released Dalit manifesto giving voice to their issues and concerns. For the first time, any party has promised the chair of Deputy CM to the community," Waraich added.

--IANS

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