Ex-Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar quits party

Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday dropped a big bombshell on the party as he announced his decision to quit on Facebook. His announcement came as the party’s mega brainstorming conclave – ‘Chintan Shivir’ – entered the second day in Rajasthan.

Congress leaders “sitting in Delhi ruined the party in Punjab”, the 68-year-old leader said, and blamed Ambika Soni’s statement on the “repercussions of having a Hindu chief minister in Punjab” for “the disastrous showing” of the party in the February-March state polls.

An attempt was also made “to present the Congress as a poor BSP in the state”, the veteran said. “Don’t drift from your ideology,” he told Congress president Sonia Gandhi in an emotional outburst.

Among other leaders he targeted during his ‘Dil Ki Baat’ Facebook live message were Harish Chaudhary, former state in-charge Harish Rawat and Tariq Anwar.

Praising Rahul Gandhi, Jakhar called him “a good person”, and urged the 51-year-old to take the reins of the party in his hands and “distance yourself from chaploos log (sychophants)”. “Good luck and goodbye Congress,” he winded up saying.