Bains Brothers, LIP Leaders, Merge Party with Congress Amid Controversy

Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) chief Simarjeet Singh Bains, along with his brother Balwinder Singh Bains, both former MLAs, joined the Congress ahead of the Punjab Lok Sabha elections. The merger took place in New Delhi in the presence of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Popularly known as the Bais brothers, they merged their party with the Congress, with Punjab Congress in-charge Devendra Yadav also present.

The move stirred controversy as Simarjeet Bains is facing rape charges, prompting criticism from opposition parties. Harish Rai Dhanda, counsel for the complainant in the case against Simarjeet, accused the Congress of stooping to a new low by aligning with someone facing such serious allegations.

Despite the controversy, the Bains brothers pledged their unconditional support to the Congress, vowing to ensure victory not only in Ludhiana but also in other constituencies across the state. Balwinder Bains, besides being an ex-MLA, is also a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).

Simarjeet Bains was booked in a rape case in July 2021, arrested in July 2022, and released on bail after six months, maintaining his innocence and alleging political vendetta.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Simarjeet secured the second spot in Ludhiana with over 3 lakh votes. Despite their support for a BJP candidate in a recent bypoll, the Bains brothers are now aligned with the Congress, prompting criticism from rival parties, including the BJP. Ravneet Singh Bittu, the BJP candidate, condemned the Congress’s decision, raising concerns about the safety of women at Congress gatherings.