Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh may have discussed the farmers' issue with Union home minister Amit Shah and shenanigans of Pakistan with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, but his Delhi interlocutors were convinced that the veteran Sikh regiment Captain was raring for an electoral fight in the upcoming state assembly elections and avenge his humiliation at the hands of Congress party.
Like a true soldier, Captain has announced his plans to quit the Congress party and defined his targets including state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu for his next innings. As the former CM has made it clear that he is not joining the BJP, it is quite evident that Captain Amarinder Singh will float his own regional political outfit as his interlocutors found that there was a lot of fight left in the Punjab leader.
It is quite obvious that Captain’s new innings will be woven around Fauji-nationalist plank, which will show Sidhu’s love and admiration for across the border Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan army chief Qamar Jawed Bajwa in sharp contrast. The former Punjab CM has already identified Sidhu as his political adversary and has announced that he will not let the former cricketer win the forthcoming Assembly election.
With the Congress party in ferment nationally as well in Punjab, Delhi will be keenly watching if state party leaders’ rebel against the high command’s over the top accommodation of Sidhu and join hands with former Punjab CM. As late BJP leader Arun Jaitely, once the political mentor of Sidhu, found out when he contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar against Amarinder Singh, the State Congress President is politically very ambitious and will go to any lengths to achieve his goal. That Sidhu will not play second fiddle to anyone in politics to achieve his objective is known to the top BJP leadership and Captain Amarinder Singh. To this extent, Sidhu is mercurial or unstable as Captain describes him and non-compromising when it comes to his personal political ambitions. Just as Captain likes to delegate work while running the political big picture, Sidhu’s capacity to lead an already fragmented Congress party in Punjab is still untested.
{{/usCountry}}With the Congress party in ferment nationally as well in Punjab, Delhi will be keenly watching if state party leaders’ rebel against the high command’s over the top accommodation of Sidhu and join hands with former Punjab CM. As late BJP leader Arun Jaitely, once the political mentor of Sidhu, found out when he contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Amritsar against Amarinder Singh, the State Congress President is politically very ambitious and will go to any lengths to achieve his goal. That Sidhu will not play second fiddle to anyone in politics to achieve his objective is known to the top BJP leadership and Captain Amarinder Singh. To this extent, Sidhu is mercurial or unstable as Captain describes him and non-compromising when it comes to his personal political ambitions. Just as Captain likes to delegate work while running the political big picture, Sidhu’s capacity to lead an already fragmented Congress party in Punjab is still untested.
{{/usCountry}}To add to the Congress party’s discomfort are statements from senior leaders like Kapil Sibal and Manish Tewari, both from Punjab, criticising the way Captain was unceremoniously removed from the post of CM. The Congress demonstration against Kapil Sibal is also a warning to other members of the G-23 to refrain from questioning the party high command.
While the Punjab electorate is still to recover from 10 years of Badal rule in the state, the former Punjab CM has left his anti-incumbency to the Congress party under Charanjit Singh Channi and Sidhu with his political and personal credibility intact. In contrast to the political theatrics of Sidhu, Captain is a steady electoral player without any song and dance. He may not address five political rallies in a day during the election campaign but always has the pulse of the people.
The BJP, on the other hand, may not have the capacity of outright winning Assembly seats due to its support for farm laws but has both its cadre and support intact to tip the election away from the Congress and the AAP.
All eyes are now on Captain.