In a huge setback to the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), its former vice-president Ashok Arora, along with other leaders of the party,announced to join the Congress. The move comes days ahead of the assembly polls to be held in Haryana.

On Tuesday, Arora and his supports had resigned from the primary membership of the INLD.Durinh his resignation, Arora had accepted moral responsibility for party’s humiliating defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Besides Arora, former MLA Pradeep Chaudhary and former Haryana minister Subhash Goyal too joined Congress, while it was a comeback for Independent MLA Jai Parkash, who too joined the party.

Jai Parkash had represented Congress from Hisar parliamentary constituency in 14th Lok Sabha.

Former Minister and INLD’s MLA late Jaswinder Singh Sandhu’s son, Gaganjit Sandhu, too became a part of the Congress.

Congress general secretary in charge of party affairs in Haryana Ghulam Nabi Azad, along with former Union minister and Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kumari Selja and Congress legislature party leader and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, welcomed the leaders into the Congress-fold.

“Regional parties which do not toe BJP’s line are getting weak and their existence is under threat. Realising that only Congress party can throw a stiff challenge to the BJP, leaders of such parties have started to come under the Congress fold,” Azad said.

“Despite difference in opinion, there are similarities in our idealogies because of which we have come together,” he added as he thanked them for their faith in leadership of Sonia Gandhi and in the ideology of the Congress party.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “Ashok Arora had been a fellow legislator many times. Jai Prakash had been a fellow legislator and parliamentarian too. Subhash Goyal had been a minister while I was in the opposition. Pradeep Chaudhary had also been a fellow legislator during one term. Their personal conduct inside and outside the Vidhan Sabha had always been good. With their joining Congress, we have gained immense strength and it will help us oust BJP government from Haryana.”