Surprising move came week after he staged protests against AAP Govt in Assembly

A week after two-time Congress MLA and party’s legislative wing’s deputy leader Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal staged protests against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government during the recently-concluded budget session in Punjab Vidhan Sabha on the issues of state’s deteriorating law and order, and mounting debt burden, the radiologist-turned-politician on Friday joined hands with the ruling party. Chabbewal MLA Dr Chabbewal, in a surprising defection, not only resigned from the Congress party, but also as a member of the Vidhan Sabha.

This is the second setback for the Congress party in Punjab in a week’s time after former MLA Gurpreet Singh GP joined AAP, and has been declared party candidate for ensuing Lok Sabha polls from Bassi Pathana in the first list of candidates released a day before. Now, Dr Chabbewal is likely to be fielded from Hoshiarpur constituency.

The development comes after weeks of resistance from both Congress and AAP to form an alliance in the State, with AAP now actively recruiting leaders from the Congress camp.

Dr Chabbewal, known for his vocal opposition to the ruling AAP government, has sent shockwaves through the state’s political landscape and taking everyone by surprise with his decision. During the recently-concluded budget session, Dr Chabbewal symbolically carried a bale on his head to draw attention to Punjab's soaring debt under the AAP Government, emphasizing the urgent need for corrective measures. On another day, he was carrying an iron chain to be handed over to the Speaker imploring AAP legislators to stay home during the impending elections, signaling his dissatisfaction with their accomplishments.

Despite his criticisms, Dr Chabbewal now finds himself aligning with the very government he opposed vehemently. His decision has raised eyebrows and sparked speculation about the motives behind his sudden shift in allegiance. It has been learnt that the Congress party learned about Dr Chabbewal’s talks with AAP two days ago and attempted to dissuade him from joining the ruling party. However, their efforts proved futile as Dr Chabbewal remained steadfast in his decision.

“We had talked to him and made every effort to convince him but I guess he had already decided to switch over…May be the vigilance inquiry against him could be the main reason,” a senior Congress leader said, while talking with The Pioneer.  Notably, Dr Chabbewal came under the Vigilance scanner the previous year for allegedly distributing 4,601 fake sanction letters among SC beneficiaries of Punjab Nirman Programme ahead of 2022 assembly elections.

Two-time MLA’s induction into AAP was formalized in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who stated that Chabbewal was impressed with AAP’s policies.

A medical professional with an MBBS and MD in radiodiagnosis, Dr Chabbewal entered politics in 2010 with the aim of extending his social work. Despite an initial defeat in 2012 assembly elections, he secured back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2022, representing Chhabewal segment in Hoshiarpur district.

Dr Chabbewal, addressing the media after joining AAP, emphasized his commitment to the public welfare and cited education and healthcare as AAP’s priorities, which resonated with his own vision. He shared his humble beginnings and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the public.

Justifying his protests against AAP and joining the party days later, Dr Chabbewal contended that as the opposition leader, it was my duty to raise such issues in the Vidhan Sabha, like mounting debt, reservation in law officers’ posts, among others. “The government has ensured reservation in the state’s law officers, and then Finance Minister (Harpal Singh) Cheema ji agreed that debt has increased but that was mainly in servicing…They said that they are working to improve the state’s finances and taking initiatives to improve the law and order,” he added.

Senior AAP leaders hailed Dr Chabbewal's decision, citing it as a testament to the party's growing strength at the grassroots level. “We respect Chabbewal for his honesty in sharing his opinion on all major issues facing the state,” said Cheema.

Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said that more leaders from the opposition, who were convinced with the AAP working in the last two years, would join them in the coming few days.

Dr Chabbewal, who contested as the Congress candidate from Hoshiarpur in 2019 elections, faced defeat at the hands of BJP’s Som Parkash, with a margin of 48,530 votes. Joining the Congress fold in 2009, Dr Chabbewal's political journey saw him elected to the assembly from Chabbewal in 2017, securing the seat again in February 2022. Recognized for his contributions, he was appointed the deputy leader of the CLP on April 10 of the same year.

Prior to this role, he served as the chairperson of the Congress’ Scheduled Caste (SC) wing in Punjab. Alongside his political engagements, Dr Chabbewal continues his profession as a radiologist, operating scanning centers in Hoshiarpur and its neighboring regions.

“Opportunistic Betrayal”, says Cong Leaders

Expressing strong disapproval of Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal's decision to join AAP, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring labeled it as an act of opportunism. Criticizing Chabbewal’s defection, Warring cited the significant support he had received from the Congress over the years while highlighting his past roles within the party, including three MLA candidacies, chairmanship of the state SC Commission, and position of Deputy CLP Leader.

Warring emphasized the detrimental impact of such opportunistic moves on public trust in politicians, particularly noting Dr Chabbewal's sudden alignment with AAP after being denied an MP ticket.

Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Pratap Singh Bajwa, strongly condemning the move, urged Punjab's voters to rebuke such betrayals in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Bajwa expressed deep disappointment in Dr Chabbewal’s actions, citing his respected status within the state Congress and characterizing his defection as a “shameful betrayal”.

Accusing Chabbewal of deceiving his mother party for personal gain, Bajwa vowed that the Congress would remember his treachery and work tirelessly to ensure his defeat in future elections. He also criticized AAP Punjab for allegedly targeting Congress leaders under BJP’s direction, asserting that Punjab's electorate would reject such opportunistic politics in the upcoming polls.