12-27-2006, 12:21 AM
<b>Punjab Congress MLA Raj Khurana resigns to join BJP</b>
GAGANDEEP AHUJA
Tuesday, 26 December 2006
PATIALA: The Congress party in Punjab has suffered a major set back when one of its senior MLA Raj Khurana from Rajpura assembly constituency and leader of Bahawalpuria Samaj in Punjab Tuesday submitted his resignation from Congress party and state assembly and joined Bhartiya Janta Party.
Khurana a close confident of late Beant Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal had supported Bhattal when she had revolted against Chief Minsiter in December 2003. Raj Khurana has been demanding time from Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh to meet him but failed to get an audience. He had also demanded to convene the meeting of congress legislature party to discuss problems faced by MLAs.
The loyalists of Preneet Kaur MP and wife of Chief Minister said that in parliament elections of 2004 Preneet Kaur was trailed in Rajpura assembly constituency by 5,251 votes because MLA Raj Khurana had opposed the official nominee and remained defiant. Khurana himself had won Rajpura seat by 16,746 votes in 2002.
Raj Khurana was elected MLA for the Second time. He remained Minister of State for Finance, Planning, Housing & Urban Development; Chairman, Pepsu Township Development Board and Member, Flood Control Board, Punjab during Beant Singh regime.
It is believed that SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal was instrumental in defection of Khurana into the BJP. The speculations were rife that he may join SAD as he has close proximity with Badal and Capt Kanawlajit Singh. Raj Khurana will likely to get ticket of BJP from Rajpura in coming elections.
It is expected that BJP would deny party ticket to senior leader Balramji Dass Tandon from Rajpura who had contested the last two elections from here and had won once. He lost the last election to Raj Khurana.
GAGANDEEP AHUJA
Tuesday, 26 December 2006
PATIALA: The Congress party in Punjab has suffered a major set back when one of its senior MLA Raj Khurana from Rajpura assembly constituency and leader of Bahawalpuria Samaj in Punjab Tuesday submitted his resignation from Congress party and state assembly and joined Bhartiya Janta Party.
Khurana a close confident of late Beant Singh and Deputy Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal had supported Bhattal when she had revolted against Chief Minsiter in December 2003. Raj Khurana has been demanding time from Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh to meet him but failed to get an audience. He had also demanded to convene the meeting of congress legislature party to discuss problems faced by MLAs.
The loyalists of Preneet Kaur MP and wife of Chief Minister said that in parliament elections of 2004 Preneet Kaur was trailed in Rajpura assembly constituency by 5,251 votes because MLA Raj Khurana had opposed the official nominee and remained defiant. Khurana himself had won Rajpura seat by 16,746 votes in 2002.
Raj Khurana was elected MLA for the Second time. He remained Minister of State for Finance, Planning, Housing & Urban Development; Chairman, Pepsu Township Development Board and Member, Flood Control Board, Punjab during Beant Singh regime.
It is believed that SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal was instrumental in defection of Khurana into the BJP. The speculations were rife that he may join SAD as he has close proximity with Badal and Capt Kanawlajit Singh. Raj Khurana will likely to get ticket of BJP from Rajpura in coming elections.
It is expected that BJP would deny party ticket to senior leader Balramji Dass Tandon from Rajpura who had contested the last two elections from here and had won once. He lost the last election to Raj Khurana.