Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Ropar
Ending days of speculation over his deserting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), local MLA Amarjit Singh Sandoa finally joined the Congress this evening. Sandoa was welcomed into the party by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh at his residence in Chandigarh.
Sandoa is the second AAP MLA who has joined the Congress in the last 10 days. Mansa MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia earlier deserted his parent party to join the Congress on April 25.
Welcoming Sandoa into the party fold, Capt Amarinder said the Congress had got a major boost with the joining of two MLAs ahead of the elections. Sandoa, who was a taxi driver in Delhi, was fielded by AAP from his native place Ropar in the 2017 state Assembly elections when he defeated former minister and senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema and Congress’ Brinder Singh Dhillon.
He, however, courted controversies when his former landlady in Ropar levelled allegations of molestation against him. In June last year, some locals allegedly roughed him up when he went to stop “illegal mining” near Nurpur Bedi. The accused had alleged that the MLA was pressuring them to give money if he wanted to continue mining operations in the area.
Though there were reports that the Congress was in touch with Sandoa, the latter kept denying it and even continued attending AAP meetings in Chandigarh as well as in Delhi regarding the party’s election strategy. He left for Chandigarh this morning along with Anandpur Sahib MLA and Speaker Rana KP Singh and a few of his confidants, making it clear for locals that he was set to join the ruling party.
