Patiala, Jan 22 (UNI) The ruling Congress suffered a major jolt in the run up to the Assembly elections, with Harinder Pal Singh Mann, quitting the party and announcing his decision to join the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Mr Mann, a close confidant of senior Congress leader and former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar, had contested the last elections as an independent from Samana Assembly constituency and had garnered a fairly large chunk of votes that had led to the defeat of the Congress candidate.

Mr Mann has called a meeting of his supporters tomorrow at his residence. The meeting is likely to be addressed by SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal, his son and party general secretary Sukhbir Singh Badal and BJP MP Navjot Singh.

Talking to mediapersons today Mr Mann said that in Punjab there was no Pradesh Congress but it was ''maharaja and maharani Congress,'' an apparent reference to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his MP wife Parneet Kaur. People who had spent years in the Congress had been ignored and Assembly tickets were given to those who had joined the party in the last few days, he alleged.

Mr Mann himself had applied for the Congress ticket from Samana. The party is yet to take a decision on this seat with Capt Singh's brother, Malwinder Singh being the front runner.

UNI