Punjab

Former AAP MP Dharamvir Gandhi to join Congress today, likely to be candidate from Patiala

Chandigarh: The Nawan Punjab Party, formed by former Aam Aadmi Party MP Dharamvir Gandhi, is going to merge with the Congress on Monday. Dharamvir Gandhi had been away from AAP since 2016.

At the same time, Dr. Gandhi is the only leader to defeat Preneet Kaur, daughter-in-law of Patiala’s royal family, in political career. After Dr. Gandhi’s merger with Congress, the party will get a strong base in Patiala even without the royal family.

The cardiologist-turned-politician joined the Aam Aadmi Party in 2013. In 2014, AAP made him its candidate. In these elections, Preneet Kaur was in the electoral fray on a Congress ticket. Dr. Gandhi won by defeating him by 20,942 votes. But in 2016, due to mutual differences, Dr. Gandhi left AAP.

Before the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, he had formed his own party Nawan Punjab, although he had finished third in these elections. Now he is likely to be fielded as Congress candidate from the Patiala constituency.