Nazar Singh Manshahia joins Cong, Punjab CM calls it clear sign of disillusionment within AAP

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday said that it is a clear sign of disillusionment within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as its sitting MLA Nazar Singh Manshahia has joined the Congress party.

The 56-year-old Manshahia is an engineering graduate from Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, who won the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections from Mansa.

Singh said, "With Manshahia Congress, it would further strengthen the party, which is riding a wave of the strong public mood in its favour."

The Punjab chief minister said, "Like-minded people from other parties were joining the Congress in Punjab in large numbers. It was a clear sign of complete disillusionment within AAP, which had lost its 'locus standi' amid a party-wide rebellion."

Manshahia, who had taken premature retirement from Punjab Pollution Control Board in 2015 after serving as a senior environmental engineer in the department, said: "He wanted to serve the people of Punjab, which he felt the Congress was best equipped to do."

"AAP had completely lost the narrative in Punjab, with no positive agenda or ideology to guide it," he added.

A first-time MLA, Manshahia is currently Member of Committee on Government Assurances of Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

-ANI