New Delhi: Citing differences with the current state Congress leaders, former state finance minister Manpreet Badal joined the BJP in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Union minister Piyush Goyal inducted Manpreet into the BJP.
In his almost three-decade-long political career, BJP is the fourth party Manpreet has joined.
In the resignation letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi, Badal accused the state Congress of patronising factionalism within the party fold and further dividing the state party unit.
Manpreet Badal is a nephew of Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and cousin of Sukhbir Singh Badal, Chief of Shiromani Akali Dal.
Started his political journey from Shiromani Akali Dal, Manpreet Badal was first elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly in May 1995 on an Akali Dal ticket from Gidderbaha. He was re-elected from Gidderbaha constituency in 1997, 2002 and 2007. In 2007 he was made finance minister in the Parkash Singh Badal government. He was removed from this post following differences about the debt waiver offer from the Centre with the rest of the party. Subsequently, he was expelled from the Akali Dal in October 2010.
In 2011, he formed a new political party called the People’s Party of Punjab and merged it with Congress in 2016. He was made Finance Minister. However, he lost the assembly election in 2022.
He has presented the Punjab budget a record nine times — the maximum for any minister in Punjab.
