New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS): Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday made light of former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Badal quitting the party to join the BJP, saying "clouds" ("badal") have cleared from the state unit.

"A man who left Akali Dal to make his own party and then joined the Congress, was made Finance Minister for 5 years, then lost by a record margin of over 60,000 votes and thereafter went into hibernation, now joins BJP," he said.

Manpreet Badal, who left the party after differences with state chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, joins the long list of Congress leaders who have joined the BJP, including former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, former state President Sunil Jakhar, and former national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill.

In a letter addressed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Manpreet Badal, the nephew of Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, said that a coterie of men in Delhi is running the affairs in Punjab and this has only increased factionalism.