Big blow to BJP as Sukhbir Badal brings veteran leader into Akali Dal amid alliance talks

Sangrur (The Uttam Hindu): Discussions of an alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are swirling in Punjab, but Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has dealt a major political blow to the BJP. Sukhbir Badal reached the Dhuri area of Sangrur and inducted former MLA and senior BJP leader Arvind Khanna into his party. This is being considered a significant development in Punjab politics.

He himself reached Dhuri and got the joining done.

The significance of this joining can be gauged from the fact that Sukhbir Badal personally visited Dhuri to induct Arvind Khanna into the Akali Dal. Khanna served as the state vice president (Up-President) of the BJP in Punjab. Furthermore, he was considered a close associate of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. His joining the Akali Dal is expected to significantly alter local political dynamics.

He has been recognized as an industrialist and social worker.

Beyond politics, Arvind Khanna is also recognized as a prominent industrialist in the region. For many years, he served the people of the Sangrur constituency through the organization "Umeed Foundation," which earned him a prominent name and a strong support base in the area. His social work also played a key role in establishing him in politics.

Such has been Khanna's political journey

Speaking of Arvind Khanna's political journey, he first contested the Sangrur Assembly seat in 2002 on a Congress Party ticket, winning and becoming an MLA. The party then reposed its faith in him in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, but he lost to Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. Later, in the 2012 Assembly elections, he contested the Dhuri constituency and secured a landslide victory, establishing himself as a leader with a strong support base.

Disappointed, he left politics

Despite winning a landslide victory in Dhuri in 2012, Arvind Khanna made a surprising decision. The Congress party failed to form a government in the state in that election. Disillusioned, Khanna resigned from the Assembly after just two years and completely withdrew from active politics. Furthermore, he closed all his businesses and organizations during that time and left the city. Now, a new chapter in his political career has begun with the Akali Dal.