Tajinder Singh Bittu, formerly the Congress secretary overseeing Himachal Pradesh, made headlines by crossing party lines to join the BJP, a move witnessed by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and party general secretary Vinod Tawde. This defection, along with that of Karamjit Kaur Chaudhary, spouse of the late two-time Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary, was a significant blow to the Congress, which has been grappling with a series of high-profile departures amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Bittu formally tendered his resignation to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, relinquishing his primary membership of the Indian National Congress and stepping down from his post as AICC secretary co-incharge of Himachal Pradesh. Expressing his emotions, Bittu shared his resignation letter on Facebook, lamenting his departure from the Congress after dedicating 35 years to the party.
Meanwhile, Karamjit Kaur expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress' decision to nominate former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as the candidate for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha constituency, citing disrespect to her late husband's legacy. Her family's long-standing commitment to serving marginalized communities was highlighted, with Kaur emphasizing her loyalty but lamenting the lack of reciprocation from the party.
Elsewhere, in Madhya Pradesh, a similar trend emerged as former Congress MLA Hari Vallabh Shukla and his supporters shifted allegiance to the BJP, underlining a broader trend of defections plaguing the Congress party. This wave of exits, including prominent figures like spokesperson Rohan Gupta, Olympic medallist Vijender Singh, and veteran leader Sanjay Nirupam, has underscored growing discontent within the Congress ranks, with many citing a perceived lack of direction and disconnect from grassroots realities as reasons for their departure.
