Former chief minister Amarinder Singh has announced that he would form a new political party ahead of the ensuing Punjab Assembly polls.
He also announced on Tuesday he is open to fight the ensuing Punjab Assembly polls jointly with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), provided the farmers’ protest is resolved.
Making the announcement on Tuesday, the former Punjab chief minister said he will consider a “seat arrangement” with the BJP and breakaway Akali groups ahead of the Punjab polls.
Singh hinted at joining forces with the BJP last month after he had meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
After meeting Amit Shah, former chief minister Amarinder Singh, however, said they had just discussed the farmers’ protest.
Also read: Punjab Congress crisis: Amarinder Singh quits as CM
In a series of tweets on Tuesday evening, the former CM’s media advisor Raveen Thukral quoted him as saying: “Will soon announce the launch of my own political party to serve the interests of Punjab & its people, including our farmers who’ve been fighting for their survival for over a year.”
“Hopeful of a seat arrangement with @BJP4India in 2022 Punjab Assembly polls if #FarmersProtest is resolved in farmers’ interest. Also looking at alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups, particularly Dhindsa & Brahmpura factions,” read another tweet by Raveen Thukral.
Seventy-nine-year-old Amarinder Singh has not quit Congress officially.
The central leadership of Congress has not commented on the issue,
“I had already said that the Captain is allied with BJP and Akali Dal, he used to get his agenda from the BJP,” Punjab’s cabinet minister Pargat Singh said,
Singh had been with the Congress for more than four decades and has been its biggest mass leader in Punjab.
He stepped down as the Punjab chief minister in September, stating that he suffered “humiliation” by the Congress in his long and bitter feud with Navjot Singh Sidhu and a section of party MLAs.