An ailing Balli on Wednesday first visited chief minister Sheila Dikshit’s residence and then went to the Rajiv Bhavan office of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) to formally join the party. His poor health, however, did not permit him to go to DPCC Jai Prakash Agarwal’s room so Sarna walked in and completed the formalities on Balli’s behalf.
The Congress, which had earlier decided to field Surender Kumar Setia from Hari Nagar seat, instead gave the seat to Balli. The Bharatiya Janata Party denied Balli, four time legislator, a ticket after it decided to cede the seat to its old ally, the Shiro-many Akali (Badal), which fielded Shyam Sharma on the seat.
Though Balli could not walk up to Agarwal’s office, he released a statement for the media, which said, ‘I was in Congress in the 1970s and have returned to my home again. I served the BJP for 36 years but they deceived me,’ he said.
Sources said Sarna played a pivotal role in getting Balli to join the Congress. ‘He acted as the conduit between Sheila Dikshit and HS Balli,’ a source said. Sarna said after the 1984 riots, the Sikh community was isolated from the Congress, but now for the first time, Sikh community members in Tilak Nagar and Hari Nagar area will support the Congress.
The Congress, which had earlier decided to field Surender Kumar Setia from Hari Nagar seat, instead gave the seat to Balli. The Bharatiya Janata Party denied Balli, four time legislator, a ticket after it decided to cede the seat to its old ally, the Shiro-many Akali (Badal), which fielded Shyam Sharma on the seat.
Though Balli could not walk up to Agarwal’s office, he released a statement for the media, which said, ‘I was in Congress in the 1970s and have returned to my home again. I served the BJP for 36 years but they deceived me,’ he said.
Sources said Sarna played a pivotal role in getting Balli to join the Congress. ‘He acted as the conduit between Sheila Dikshit and HS Balli,’ a source said. Sarna said after the 1984 riots, the Sikh community was isolated from the Congress, but now for the first time, Sikh community members in Tilak Nagar and Hari Nagar area will support the Congress.