The Punjab election is one of the key battles ahead in Indian politics in 2022 along with the U.P elections and in a major development former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, today announced an alliance with the BJP for the Punjab election, a move that had been anticipated ever since he quit the Congress last month.
The former Punjab Chief Minister made the announcement after meeting with the BJP leadership in Delhi. He also tweeted photos hugging Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the BJP’s Punjab in-charge.
“Our alliance (with BJP) is confirmed. Only seat-sharing talks are going on. We will see who will contest where – our criteria for seat selection is purely winnability,” Amarinder Singh told reporters.
“The alliance will definitely, 101 percent win the elections,” he added.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat revealed in a separate post that seven rounds of talks have been held.
Even before quitting the Congress, his party of 40 years, Amarinder Singh had been in talks with the BJP for a partnership in Punjab.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to withdraw the three controversial farm laws was driven partly by the party’s plans for Punjab, a state where it played junior partner to the Akali Dal for decades until a break-up over the farm laws.
As the BJP gets into a brand new alliance with Amarinder Singh, it plans to negotiate a senior partner status with a bigger share of seats than the debutant Punjab Lok Congress, sources say.
The state’s ruling Congress faces a tough challenge from Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Badal has tied up with Mayawati’s BSP.
Amarinder Singh, 79, exited the Congress after being abruptly replaced as Chief Minister in September – a shock ending to his protracted feud with Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.