‘BJP Looks After Country's Interests’: Amarinder Singh Joins Party, Meets Shah

The former Punjab chief minister had launched the Punjab Lok Congress last year after quitting the Congress.

Captain Amarinder Singh had previously said that he was open to an alliance with the BJP in Punjab.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Shortly after joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, 19 September, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda .

He was welcomed into the party at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Kiren Rijiju, BJP leader Sunil Jakhar, and BJP Punjab chief Ashwani Sharma.

Singh also merged his party, the Punjab Lok Congress, with the saffron camp. He had launched the PLC last year after quitting the Congress amidst a power tussle with Navjot Singh Sidhu in September 2021.

"We have seen Congress. It is now time to join a party that is looking after the interests of the country," Singh said in a press briefing.

"Punjab is a border state, and I have seen our relations with Pakistan deteriorating," he said, adding, "Drones are coming into our territory now to create complete chaos in Punjab. China is also not far from us. It's our duty to protect our state and the country."

"Captain Sahab has always kept nation above all. I am delighted to welcome him and his supporters in the BJP family on the behalf of millions of BJP workers," Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

Former Congress leader and deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly Ajaib Singh Bhatti also joined the BJP.

The former Punjab CM, who recently returned from London after undergoing a spinal surgery, had already held meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah prior to joining the party.

Singh had said he had a very productive discussion with Shah on various issues related to national security, rising cases of narco-terrorism in Punjab, and the future road map for the state's overall holistic development, PTI had reported.

This year, the PLC contested the state Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyuk). However, none of its candidates registered a win, with Singh himself losing from his home turf of Patiala Urban.