Jagmeet Singh Brar Returns To Congress

Addressing a hurriedly called press conference here, Congress-I general secretary, in charge of Punjab, Gulam Nabi Azad said Brar was welcomed to the party and his entry back to Congress would certainly strengthen the party in the state, particularly in the coming assembly elections.

Punjab Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, pradesh Congress president Ambika Soni, Sukhbans Kaur, MP from Gurdaspur, and former Union minister

Balram Jakhar were also present at the press conference.

Brar admitted that he had left the party following his differences with the party leadership and since he was persuaded now by the party president Sita Ram Kesri and Azad, he had agreed to return to his original home to fight the communal forces of the Akali-BJP combine in Punjab.

 

Azad said that Brar had returned to Congress-I along with 93 out of 103 office bearers of Punjab Congress (Tiwari).

Brar, who was the first member of Parliament to oppose former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao for alleged corruption charges and deviating from the Congress policies and programme, said he agreed with the demand of some of the MPs for the removal of Rao from the leadership of the Congress Parliamentary Party.

Brar, looked upon as the strong man of Muktsar, had unsuccessfully contested Lok Sabha elections from Faridkot in 1996 on an independent ticket after he had quit Congress-T.

Brar said he always admired former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh for restoring peace to the state although he had political differences with him. However, he always considered Beant Singh in high esteem. Brar has a strong mass base in the state particularly in the Malwa belt of Punjab among the peasantry and weaker sections of the society.

When asked whether the negotiations with the BSP for the coming

elections in Punjab were on, Azad said the question was still open.