Former cricketer Dinesh Mongia joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday in the presence of Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.The 44-year-old former left-hand batsman hails from Punjab, which will soon go to pollsSitting Congress MLAs Fateh Singh Bajwa and Balwinder Singh Laddi also joined the party.These joinings came a day after former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh and former Union minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa met the BJP top brass. A formal alliance was announced between the BJP and the parties of these two leaders after the meeting.Welcoming the leaders into his party fold, Shekhawat said leaders from other parties are joining the BJP as it is gaining ground in Punjab.For the past several days, the BJP has been roping in leaders and renowned personalities from Punjab to strengthen its position in the state where it has always been a junior partner in the alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). However, the latter walked out in protest against the now-repealed three farm laws.
