Sunil Jakhar, a prominent face of Punjab politics who quit the Congress recently, joined the BJP on Thursday, a development being seen as a big gain for the saffron party that aspires to get a toehold in the border state.

Jakhar, unlike many other Congress deserters, has expressed sorrow at breaking ties with the Grand Old Party, saying it was not easy to snap a 50-year-old relationship that spanned three generations of his family. He stressed on Thursday that the Congress for him was not a party but “family”.

“I had a 50-year-old relationship with the Congress. Three generations of my family have been with the party since 1972. Considering the party my family, we stayed with it in good and bad times,” Jakhar said, claiming he quit not because of “fundamental disputes” with the party or any “personal dispute”.

BJP president J.P. Nadda was personally present to welcome Jakhar, underlining the importance the party was according to the latest catch from the Congress. Nadda claimed that Jakhar left the Congress owing to a “dispute over nationalism” and “Punjab’s unity and brotherhood”.

Claiming that the BJP was leading the “nationalist forces” in Punjab, Nadda said it was essential that people aligning with such an ideology joined the party. He said Jakhar would play a key role for the BJP in Punjab. After Jakhar, another key Congress deserter, Hardik Patel from Gujarat, is set to join the BJP soon, BJP leaders said. Hardik, who quit the Congress on Wednesday, has slammed the leadership in general and Rahul Gandhi in particular and dropped enough hints that he was headed towards the BJP.

Jakhar quit the Congress after the party’s disciplinary committee recommended that he be suspended for two years and removed from all posts for criticising then chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. The Congress lost the Punjab elections earlier this year.

Jakhar holds a lot of importance for the BJP that has a marginal presence in Punjab. In the Sikh-dominated state sharing a border with Pakistan, the BJP had for years played second fiddle to then ally Akali Dal. The BJP was left virtually orphaned in the state after the Akali Dal snapped ties over the farm laws.

Jakhar is a prominent non-Sikh politician from the state who commands a lot of goodwill. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has been running a determined campaign to woo the Sikhs after the Centre was forced to withdraw the three new farm laws, bowing to a prolonged struggle by farmers primarily led by the community.

BJP insiders said Jakhar could soon be rewarded with a Rajya Sabha berth and a key responsibility in the effort to strengthen the BJP in Punjab.