Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Thursday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of party chief JP Nadda.

Jakhar left the Congress party last week after lashing out at former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Twitter, saying that he was "not an asset" as portrayed by the party leadership.

Earlier, the Congress disciplinary committee had removed Jakhar, a former Lok Sabha member, from all party posts over allegations of anti-party activities made by certain Punjab unit leaders against him.

Jakhar also lashed out at veteran Congress leader Ambika Soni for her statement on the "repercussions of having a Hindu chief minister in Punjab". Jakhar also held Soni's statement as one of the reasons for the Congress party's drubbing in the Punjab assembly elections earlier this year.

Following Jakhar's induction into the BJP, Nadda said, "The BJP has taken the first place among nationalist forces in Punjab. That's why it's essential that all the people with nationalistic thoughts join the BJP and strengthen the party."

(With PTI inputs)