After supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) externally during the electoral battle in Punjab six months back, Punjab’s former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh is all set to formally join the ranks with the saffron party, next week.
Virtually fighting for political survival after parting ways with the Congress in September last, Capt Amarinder is expected to join the BJP on Monday (September 19), along with his Congress MP wife Preneet Kaur and others, while also merging his less than a-year-old political outfit ‘Punjab Lok Congress’ (PLC) with the saffron party.
With the induction of Capt Amarinder into the BJP, the saffron party would, for the first time, have such an influential, strong, and charismatic leader in its Punjab unit. For all these years, the BJP has played a second fiddle in its decades-long alliance with the state’s regional party — Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
As of now, the BJP, with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is working hard to expand its base within Punjab, where its previous alliance partner, SAD, had parted ways over the now-repealed farm laws. BJP, joining hands with Capt Amarinder’s nascent Punjab Lok Congress and Akali stalwart Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s SAD (Sanyukt), contest 2022 state assembly polls. BJP managed to bag just two seats with both its coalition partners drawing a blank as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept the February elections.
With an objective to expand its wings and strengthen its base in the border state, the BJP is planning to carry out a major reshuffle in its state organization, ahead of the crucial 2024 elections. Also, the tenure of incumbent Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma is nearing the end.
In addition, several senior leaders from the Congress — including Sunil Jakhar, former Ministers Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Raj Kumar Verka, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, and Sunder Sham Arora, along with Congress’ former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon had also joined the BJP in the past, who are also expected to be given major responsibilities in the expected reorganization of the Punjab BJP unit.
On the other hand, ‘Patiala Royal’ Capt Amarinder has been in the political wilderness after facing a defeat from a first-timer Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and that too in his bastion — Patiala city, forfeiting his security deposit. By joining the ‘ruling’ national party, Capt Amarinder is expected to get a stronger and wider platform with the backing of the Centre.
It is believed that the former two-time Chief Minister will be given an important responsibility, with the saffron party primarily focusing on the next Lok Sabha elections.
Capt Amarinder was unceremoniously removed from the Chief Minister’s chair in September last, following his months-long showdown with his bête noire Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was elevated to be Punjab Congress president despite strong opposition by him. In his place, the party chose Charanjit Singh Channi to head the state — becoming Punjab’s first Dalit Chief Minister.
One-and-a-half months later, the 89-year-old formally resigned from the Congress party’s membership in November 2021 and went on to float his own political party — PLC, while declaring to contest the state assembly polls along with the BJP.
Capt Amarinder’s PLC contested February 20 polls in alliance with the BJP and the SAD (Sanyukt), fielding its candidates on 37 seats of the total 117. A number of PLC candidates preferred to contest on the BJP symbol, which contested on 65 seats, besides SAD (Sanyukt) on 15 seats. All PLC candidates lost badly in the polls, forfeiting their security deposit.
BJP managed to win two seats, with AAP sweeping the elections with a record 92 seats — the highest ever by any political party.
It has been learnt that the decision about the merger was taken before Capt Amarinder went to London for his spinal surgery in July, and it was decided that the formal announcement would be made on his return.
After his return, his recent meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president JP Nadda confirmed the merger and Capt Amarinder’s joining.