Chandigarh, May 15:In a big boost to the BJP Senior Congress leader and two-time former Mayor Subhash Chawla, along with his son Sumit Chawla, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party at 'Kamlam' Sector 33, Chandigarh, here today.

Chawla's joining took place in the presence of Saroj Pandey, National Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party accompanied by BJP Chandigarh candidate Sanjay Tandon; Jitender Pal Malhotra, BJP State President, Devinder Singh Babla, Vice President and Amit Jindal General Secretary.

In a warm reception of a Congress stalwart into the BJP, Saroj Pandey, "We welcome Subhash ji into the Bharatiya Janata Party and assure him that he will get much respect in the party. The exodus of many senior congress leaders is due to lack of the party’s vision and conflicting ideologies within the INDIA Bloc. This will cause a decimation of the Congress party in India.”

Tandon said, “The Chandigarh BJP has been further strengthened with the joining of Subhash Ji, who has been the strongest pillar of the Chandigarh Congress. I have known him for 25 years and have interacted with him both at a political and as personal level. Subhash Ji, you will find an important place in the heart of the world's largest political party, the BJP. Moreover, Chawla Ji was impressed by PM Modi and his style of working, and therefore, he has joined our party."

Former Congress UT President Chawla expressed his dissatisfaction with the Congress-AAP coalition in Chandigarh, citing its detrimental effects on the Congress's standing in the city.

“Leaving the party, which I joined at 21, is a harsh decision for me to take. However, I can’t ignore the damage AAP's presence inflicted on Congress in the recent UT MC election. AAP is a party which indulges in petty politics. And Congress's decision to join hands with AAP for the UT Lok Sabha seat will destroy its presence in UT in near future,” remarked Chawla.

Notably, in 2022, Chawla resigned as the President of the Congress’s Chandigarh unit.

Besides politics, Tandon Ji and I have a long-standing relationship. More importantly, there has been a long-standing demand in the city for a good local candidate who has a cordial relationship with its own people. I am certain that Tandon Ji will advocate for our issues in the parliament.”

Highlighting Tandon's longstanding commitment to the city, Chawla lauded Tandon’s selfless services. “His dedication and commitment to the people of the city make him an ideal candidate,” added Chawla.