Punjab ex-CM Amarinder Singh to soon announce his own political party
The former chief minister who said that he would not join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier, however, kept the door open for a coalition.
Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that he will launch his own political outfit soon, news agency PTI reported. Amarinder Singh quit the Congress last month after Punjab saw a change in chief minister with Charanjit Singh Channi taking over the role.
Amarinder Singh said that he will not rest until Punjab’s future is secured. “Will not rest till I can secure the future of my people and my state. Punjab needs political stability and protection from internal and external threats,” the former chief minister was quoted as saying by his media advisor Raveen Thukral.
The former chief minister who said that he would not join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier, however, kept the door open for a coalition. Singh however outlined that the farmer’s interest will then have to take the centrestage. “Hopeful of a seat arrangement with BJP in 2022 Punjab polls if farmers protest is resolved in farmers’ interest. Also looking at alliance with like-minded parties- Akali groups, particularly Dhindsa & Brahmpura,” Singh was quoted as saying by his media advisor.
The final months of Singh’s tenure as a chief minister was fraught with infightings as Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and a group of rebel ministers accused him of not fulfilling promises made in 2017. Sidhu and Singh opposed each other and Singh’s resignation from the post of chief minister came two months after Sidhu’s elevation as state unit chief.
“I feel humiliated. This is the third time they (Congress high command) have called the MLAs. Apparently, they do not have confidence in me and didn’t think I could handle my job. But I felt humiliated at the manner in which they handled the whole affair,” Singh said last month, while tendering his resignation. He also called Sidhu ‘unstable’ and deemed him ‘unfit’ for Punjab.