Having managed to induct several disgruntled senior Congress leaders, the Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab is now planning to get into a major consolidation mode with efforts to bring in former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, News18 has learned. .
Reliable sources said that both the BJP and the Captain had finalized an agreement to merge the former CM’s Punjab Lok Congress with the saffron party. Singh had floated the party last year ahead of the state assembly elections after he was ousted from the chief minister’s post by the Congress. The Captain and his party failed to make any significant headway in the elections, putting a question mark on his move.
“It would have been better for the captain if he had joined the BJP and campaigned with full force,” he said. It is understandable for the former chief minister to come on board now as many of his former colleagues, including Sunil Jakhar, have joined the party,” said a leader.
Sources said that after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi With three controversial agriculture laws withdrawn last year, the BJP was no longer seen as a “pariya” in the state’s political landscape and was now easier to cross for leaders willing to join.
Captain Amarinder is currently recovering from back surgery in London and is expected to return to the state within ten days. Sources said the 89-year-old former CM is in talks with top BJP leaders and he may enter the party once he comes back.
“The framework is being worked out, but it seems that instead of working as a separate entity, he may become a part of the BJP,” said a leader.
BJP sources said his entry could give a fillip to the party’s efforts to make inroads in Punjab ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Sources said that the Punjab BJP, having managed to induct several former leaders from other parties, believes it can make some gains. Although it finished fourth in the recently held Sangrur by-polls, it overtook the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in a constituency where it has traditionally performed poorly.
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