Defection Drama: Dimpy Dhillon Joins AAP

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, formerly with the Shiromani Akali Dal, joined the ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday. He left SAD due to disappointment over not getting the Gidderbaha assembly ticket. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed him along with his supporters. Dhillon previously contested from Gidderbaha in 2017 and 2022.

Hardeep Singh Dimpy Dhillon, who recently departed from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), officially joined the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday.

Dhillon, previously considered close to SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, resigned from the party on Sunday after being denied the ticket for the Gidderbaha assembly seat, which became vacant following Amrinder Singh Raja Warring's election to the Lok Sabha from Ludhiana.

In a public meeting held in Gidderbaha, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann formally welcomed Dhillon and hundreds of his supporters from the Akali Dal into AAP. Dhillon previously contested the Gidderbaha seat in the 2017 and 2022 elections, narrowly losing to Congress' Amrinder Singh Raja Warring in 2022 by just over 1,300 votes.

Mann remarked that Dhillon did not leave the Akali Dal but rather that the party had left him, emphasizing that the neglect of good ideas and valuable individuals forces people to switch loyalties.

Dhillon's exit comes when SAD is grappling with a significant rebellion, with some leaders demanding Sukhbir Badal's resignation following the party's poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections.

(With inputs from agencies.)