Four Politicians Join BJP; Channi Raises Caste Question in INC Meeting

In a boost to the Panjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), several prominent politicians joined the party at the Panjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh on 16 Jan. The leaders are former Member of Parliament Jagmeet Singh Brar, his younger brother and former Member of Legislative Assembly Ripjit Singh Brar, breakaway Akali Dal leader Charanjit Singh Brar, and former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Onkar Singh. The induction took place in the presence of state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, Panjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma, and Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu. Jagmeet Singh Brar was once a heavyweight in the Panjab Indian National Congress (INC) and a former member of the Congress Working Committee. He has had a long and checkered political journey including once defeating Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in the 1999 Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) elections from Faridkot. He was suspended from INC in 2014 over questioning the party leadership. He and his younger brother joined SAD but resigned in 2022. Charanjeet Singh Brar came into prominence as one of the key organizers of the famous Khatkar Kalan conference in 2011, which launched Manpreet Badal’s People’s Party of Punjab. Charanjeet later joined SAD and served Sukhbir Singh Badal as an OSD. He rebelled against SAD in 2024, briefly helped form the Giani Harpreet Singh-led Akali Dal Punar Surjeet (revival) and has now jumped ship again. Professor Onkar Singh has overseen CM Mann's constituency, Dhuri, and is considered to have strong grassroots connections there. He said his sacking was disrespectful, citing 2024 orders from AAP Delhi leadership to dismiss him. Meanwhile, in the INC, former CM Charanjit Singh Channi raised the issue of lack of representation of Dalit (marginalized caste) leaders in the state party unit as compared to Jat Sikhs, who are traditionally farmers. His statement has made public the INC’s multiple internal discords. On 19 Jan, Channi posted a clarification, saying in his brief term as CM he had never discriminated against any caste. The Congress High Command has called for a meeting on 23 Jan.