Jalandhar, September 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered a political setback in Jalandhar on Wednesday as Dinesh Dhall, Vice-Chairman of the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) and former in-charge of the Jalandhar North Assembly constituency, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with a large number of supporters.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon formally welcomed Dhall and the other new entrants into the party.
Among those who joined the BJP were councillor Amit Dhall; AAP Bazigar Board chairman Manpreet Sonu; former district president of the Nasha Mukti Morcha Ranjit Singh; Dilkusha Market Jalandhar chairman and Jalandhar North Doctors’ Wing president Navdeep Madan; Gujjar Samaj Jalandhar North chairman Sonu Chaudhary; Ward No. 2 in-charge Amit Sharma; former Jalandhar North youth coordinator Anil Dhall Bobby; Prajapat Samaj Jalandhar North chairman Vikram Kaushal; Ward No. 26 in-charge Puneet Vadera; Swarnkar Board Jalandhar North chairman Ashok Kumar; Nasha Mukti Morcha block coordinator Vikram Kaushal; and ward coordinator Pawan Nanda, besides a large number of other supporters.
Welcoming the leaders and workers, Kewal Singh Dhillon said the BJP was expanding its organisational base across Punjab. He said Dhall’s entry, along with prominent AAP leaders and workers from Jalandhar North, would strengthen the BJP in the region.
Dhillon assured the new entrants that they would receive due respect and responsibilities within the party. He described the defections of prominent AAP leaders as an indication that “the AAP ship is sinking”, while claiming that the BJP’s organisational strength was growing.
The Punjab BJP chief also claimed that various sections, including youth, farmers, labourers, employees and teachers, were dissatisfied with the AAP government. He further alleged that even leaders within the ruling party were feeling “suffocated” and seeking political change.
Dhillon accused the AAP government of failing to tackle the drug menace, gangsterism and the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Punjab. He also claimed that the state’s debt had crossed ₹4.5 lakh crore.
He said a BJP-led “double-engine” government was the “only solution” to Punjab’s problems and claimed that people had already decided to elect the BJP government in the 2027 Assembly elections.
Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sareen, former MLA KD Bhandari, SC Morcha state president Sheetal Angural, district president Ashok Sareen Hicky, Sushil Sharma, Amit Taneja and several other party leaders and workers were present at the joining ceremony.
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