Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh claimed the day before yesterday that BJP works in the national interest, so he joined Narendra Modi Amit Shah’s party. Amarinder formed a party called Punjab Lok Congress after defecting from Congress. The day before yesterday that party also merged with BJP. While Amarinder joined on the 19th, his wife Preneet Kaur, Congress MP from Patiala, is still with the old party. Just as Amarinder secured his and his son’s political rehabilitation by joining the BJP on the 19th of September, the BJP got a big Sikh face in the state.
The Congress leadership removed Amarinder from the post of Chief Minister last September due to a dispute with Rahul Gandhi. He formed the Punjab Lok Congress in February this year. Amarinder’s party could not win any seats even though it fought in alliance with the BJP in the assembly polls. As a result, he was becoming irrelevant in domestic politics. According to the Congress camp, Amarinder joined the BJP under some compulsion due to the uncertainty surrounding the political future.
Declaration of joining
After a meeting with BJP leader Amit Shah a few days ago, Amarinder officially announced his joining the BJP. He met BJP president JP Nadda on the 19th morning. It was then informed by BJP sources that Amarinder will officially join the party the day before yesterday. Amarinder joined the party in the presence of Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Kiren Rijiju at the BJP headquarters in Delhi that evening. Said, “BJP is a party that works in the national interest. Punjab is a bordering state. Weapons and drugs are being sent from Pakistan through drones every day. So, it is in the interest of the state as well as the country to join the BJP.”
But even though he and his son joined the BJP yesterday, when his wife Preneet Kaur is joining, Amarinder said, “It is not always the case that wives follow the path of their husbands.” According to many in politics, Preneet will remain a Congress MP for the rest of her term. Mentally though she is with her husband.
Amarinder is about eighty now. According to BJP’s age policy, his place should be in Margadarshan Mandal. As a result, there are questions about how much he will be seen in active politics in the coming days. It is believed that Amarinder wanted to ensure the rehabilitation of his son Raninder Singh in the BJP by taking that step the day before yesterday. However, according to a section of the BJP, Amarinder’s chances of active politics are unlikely due to his age.
BJP’s strategy
However, according to other sections, The BJP in Punjab has been suffering from the lack of a big Sikh leader ever since the Shiromani Akali Dal left the NDA in opposition to the Agrarian Act. Ever since the defeat in the assembly elections, the BJP has stepped into the field to strengthen the organization in the state.