Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh will fight the great electoral battle of Punjab against the army he once headed with the help of his erstwhile foes.
Completely reversing the previous election’s scenario, Capt Amarinder and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday sealed the alliance, while leaving the decision on seat-sharing to be announced at “an appropriate time”.
It took “seven rounds of talks” between Capt Amarinder and the several leaders of the saffron brigade to seal this deal. Rajya Sabha member and an Akali stalwart Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s party — Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Sanyukta — is likely to join the evolving alliance between the BJP and Capt Amarinder’s new outfit — the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC).
Speculated ever since he quit the Congress the previous month, Capt Amarinder, along with Union Minister and Punjab BJP affairs’ in-charge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, announced the decision in New Delhi after their meeting.
“We had met in Chandigarh earlier... Union Home Minister (Amit Shah) and our president (JP) Nadda have also given indications regarding this. So today, we can say we (the BJP and Capt Amarinder) will fight Punjab polls together... About the remaining issue and seat sharing, we will convey this at an appropriate time,” said Shekhawat after the meeting.
Capt Amarinder, accompanied by his son Raninder Singh and close aide Bharat Inder Singh Chahal, said talks regarding the alliance have been going on “for many days”.
“Today, our alliance is confirmed. Only seat-sharing talks are going on...We are all prepared, and 100 per cent, we will win,” he said.
“The question is who will contest on which seat...So, winnability is the sole criteria...We will see on seat-to-seat basis...Whoever is capable to win will be fielded...if it is the BJP’s candidate, we will support, and it will be vice versa, they will support ours,” said Capt Amarinder.
Notably, the BJP, which has always played a second fiddle to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during the decades of alliance, is eyeing larger share of seats in the alliance. Sources told The Pioneer that BJP want nearly 70 seats, out of total 117.
Capt Amarinder has all along been insisting on forging the alliance not in terms of seats, rather determining the allocation of seats as per the chances of a candidate to win “regardless of the party”.
The former Chief Minister has also made it clear that his party would not take “any disgruntled” or “leftover” Congress leader in the party, but they will only be inducted as per the party’s policy.
The alliance has added the fourth dimension to an increasingly intense contest that, just months ago, seemed to be heavily skewed in favour of the State’s ruling party - the Congress.
“Our alliance would definitely win...We have no contest with anyone...Neither with SAD, nor with AAP nor with anyone else,” said Capt Amarinder.
Citing “repeated humiliation” by the Congress top brass, Capt Amarinder step down as the Chief Minister in September, and later quit the Congress party, after floating his political party.
Even before formally quitting the Congress, Capt Amarinder had started talks with the BJP for an alliance in Punjab, and openly made clear his intent while indicating a “resolution” of farmers’ issue.
Expressing his desire to arrive as seat-sharing with the BJP, Capt Amarinder had put one condition - resolution to the farmers’ issue to their satisfaction - giving enough indications that repealing of the three contentious farm laws is round the corner.
It is believed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to withdraw the controversial farm laws was taken, to some extent, by keeping the BJP’s Punjab plans in mind. Notably, the BJP, which has been contesting polls in alliance with the SAD for many decades, was left by its ally in protest against the agri laws - thus forcing the saffron party to look for an alternative considering not having a strong base in the State.
Later, both Capt Amarinder and Shekhawat shared their pictures, hugging each other, on Twitter, while sharing the news of the alliance. “Met union minister & @BJP4India in-charge for Punjab, Shri @gssjodhpur in New Delhi today to chalk out future course of action ahead of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections. We have formally announced a seat adjustment with the BJP for the 2022 Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections,” tweeted Capt Amarinder.
Shekhawat also tweeted, “After 7 rounds of talks, today I confirm that BJP & Punjab Lok Congress are going to fight the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections together. Topics like seat share will be discussed later.”