The pre election phase is very sensitive for each and every political party with momentous moments. As the dates are approaching nearer, several news are making it to the top relating to minor stuff. Many renowned ministers have already switched parties and joined their opposition and this leads to major confusion and chaos right before the elections. Throughout the country all the eyes are set on the central ruling authority and their next step. The BJP, which has been facing criticism over the farm laws, particularly in Punjab, faced a huge setback in the recent local body elections in the state. The ruling Congress made a clean sweep of Punjab’s seven municipal corporations, apart from bagging the lion’s share of panchayat seats. Many social media users are claiming that BJP MLAs from Punjab have quit the party. The social media users are sharing a post which translates in English as, “All three MLAs from BJP in Punjab have now joined Congress. Count of BJP MLA in Punjab becomes 0. BJP free Punjab congratulations.”
According to the Punjab Legislative Assembly website, the state presently has two BJP MLAs Arun Narang from Abohar and Dinesh Singh from Sujanpur.
Refuting the viral claim, Narang said, “The viral claim is baseless. First, BJP has two MLAs in Punjab and not three. And we have not joined the Congress. BJP had three MLAs in 2017, including Som Parkash, who was elected from Phagwara. However, he later resigned and contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Parkash is now the Union minister of state for commerce and industry.”
The Phagwara seat that was earlier represented by BJP’s Som Parkash fell vacant after he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2019. However, in the by-election, BJP lost the seat to Congress and its strength in the House came down to two.
AFWA also spoke to Dinesh Singh, the second BJP MLA in Punjab. “I am a three-time MLA of BJP from Punjab and I am still with the party. The claim that I have joined Congress is false,” Singh said.
MLA and spokesperson of the Congress in Punjab, Raj Kumar Verka, also confirmed to us that the viral post is false, and no MLA from BJP has joined the Congress recently in the state.
Hence, it is clear that the viral claim saying “all three BJP MLAs” in Punjab have joined the Congress is false. BJP has only two MLAs in Punjab who are still with the party.
