Former Ambassador of India to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu joins Bharatiya Janata Party

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Former Ambassador of India to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu joined the Bharatiya Janata Party March 19, 2024. He recently left from Washington D.C., after serving as India’s envoy in Washington from February 2020 to January 2024.

Sandhu was inducted into the BJP at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, where BJP’s  National General Secretaries Vinod Tawde and Tarun Chugh, National Secretary  Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Media Co-Head Dr. Sanjay Mayukh were present, according to a press release from BJP.

Tawde extended his warm welcome to Sandhu, and dwelt on his illustrious career in the Indian Foreign Service,  “particularly during his tenure in the US and as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka,” the press release said.

Tawde also observed that Sandhu belonged to a family deeply committed to development in Punjab. He also emphasized that Sandhu’s inclusion in the BJP “aims to advance Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s development agenda in Punjab,” and that his Sandhu’s joining BJP is seen as “an effort to bolster the ‘Modi guarantee’ and further strengthen it.”

Sandhu said he had closely worked with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership over the past 10 years, especially in relation to the United States and Sri Lanka. He also emphasized that the relationship with the US, particularly in the last four years, has evolved from one of mere relationship to a partnership, with American investments increasing in at least five areas in India.

Sandhu noted that the largest semiconductor company is investing in Gujarat, while in the energy sector, the world’s largest company, ‘First Solar’, is investing in Chennai. He spoke of the New Education Policy spearheaded by PM Modi, which he said focuses beyond degrees on skills, and how advancements such as two plus two and three plus one collaborations with international tie-ups are happening in IITs.

Sandhu expressed hope that Amritsar will receive the necessary development, and he advocated for Modi’s policies to extend development to the city, mirroring the progress seen across the nation.

He thanked PM Modi, BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah “for encouraging him to embark on a new path of serving the nation.”

Speculation began on social media about where Sandhu might run for in the upcoming elections starting this April, some predicting he would run from Amritsar.

The former Ambassador was greeted in his hometown of Amritsar by local BJP supporters.

“Thank you for the late night warm welcome from the local

@BJP4Indiafamily! Looking forward to working together in advancing the prosperity and development of my home – #Amritsar – the #GuruNagri. Let’s make a meanngful impact together!” Sandhu tweeted on X, posting several pictures.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, tweeted, “Welcome to@BJP4India, Ambassador@SandhuTaranjitS. Our close association gives me fullest confidence that you will continue contributing to the nation’s development and progress.”

According to the website SikhstheSupreme.in, Sandhucomes from the well known Samundri family, and is the grandson of famous freedom struggle martyr Sardar Teja Singh Samundri, and the son of Bishan Singh Samundri, the founder Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University.

Born in 1963, Sandhu joined the IFS in 1988. He opened the first Indian embassy in Ukraine and served there as head of the political and administration wings. He was in Washington in an earlier assignment as first secretary. He came to Washington in different capacities, as First Secretary, and then Deputy Chief of Mission, before becoming Ambassador.  He also served in Frankfurt and Sri Lanka, as well as in different positions at the Ministry of External Affairs.