Aam Aadmi Party’s rebel MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia of Mansa today joined the Congress, dealing a blow to the Sukhpal Khaira-led Punjabi Ekta Party.
AAP now fears losing more MLAs to other parties as well as the status of being the principal Opposition in the state Assembly.
Khaira too formally resigned from the AAP and the Assembly today, months after he formed his own group, Punjabi Ekta Party. Manshahia along with four other AAP MLAs had supported Khaira, but had not resigned from the AAP.
The immediate impact of his defection would be on Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, where his Assembly seat falls. It also challenges political fortunes of Khaira, who is contesting from Bathinda as Punjab Democratic Alliance candidate.
Kanwar Sandhu, rebel AAP MLA who is supporting the Khaira group, said this happened because AAP had not learnt lessons and the third front (Khaira group) would also be weakened.