CHANDIGARH: Member of Parliament from Ferozepur Sher Singh Ghubaya who quit the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday joined the Congress in the presence of party president Rahul Gandhi here on Tuesday.
Ghubaya quit the SAD yesterday more than two years after his ties with the party has soured ending months of speculation about the timing of his entry into the Congress. He is likely to get the Congress ticket from Ferozepur as he has been seeking an assurance from the Congress high command on his re-nomination from this seat.
Elected on the SAD ticket in 2009 and in 2014, Ghubaya belongs to the Rai Sikh community, which has a considerable presence in Ferozepur.
While the state sports and youth minister Rana Sodhi and his son Anumit Singh Sodhi, former minister Hans Raj Josan and Anish Sidana are among ticket applicants from this Lok Sabha seat for the Congress. But a row erupted in the state congress as old-timers warned the top leadership against fielding him on the party ticket from this constituency.
Gubaya was accompanied by his son and Congress MLA from Fazilka, Devinder Singh Gubaya. Ferozepur is key parliamentary seat for the Congress this time as there is speculation that SAD could field its president Sukhbir Singh Badal or his wife union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal from here this time. Harsimrat is sitting MP from Bathinda.
The preliminary signals on tickets will be clear on March
10 when the first screening for the Punjab Congress candidates happens in Delhi.
Also present were AICC in charge for Punjab Asha Kumari and Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar. He is the second Akali MP to quit the party.
“Congress President @RahulGandhi welcomes Ferozepur MP Shri Sher Singh Ghubaya to the Congress party. We wish him all the best,” Congress party tweeted.