Speculations rife over political future of Captain Amarinder Singh

Singh resigned as chief minister of Punjab on Saturday

Speculations are rife over the political future of Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as chief minister of Punjab on Saturday. The manner in which he is continuously referring to national security and anti-Pakistan rhetoric, tongues have started wagging in the state.

 

Soon after putting in his papers, Amarinder Singh accused Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu of having ties with Pakistan and even called him "anti-national". He warned that his becoming the chief minister of Punjab will be a threat to India's national security.

BJP's Lok Sabha MP from Punjab's Hoshiarpur and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry in the Modi government, Som Prakash, while talking to IANS said, "The Congress has accepted by removing the Chief Minister that its government in Punjab has been a failure on all fronts."

He also accused the Congress government of promoting mafia, corruption and illegal mining in the state.

But at the same time, Som Prakash also said, "What Amarinder Singh is saying about Navjot Singh Sidhu is true and everyone knows it."

Responding to the question whether Captain will join the BJP, Union Minister Som Prakash said, "What will happen in politics, nobody knows." However, he added that the party high command has to decide on it.

Talking to IANS, BJP's national spokesperson Sardar R.P. Singh said, "It is the Captain Saheb who has to decide whether he is disillusioned with the family (Gandhi family) or not and what he plans next." He also added that if Amarinder Singh expresses his wish to join the BJP, then the party will take a call at the appropriate time. It is too early to say anything."

The BJP is going to contest the Assembly elections in Punjab on its own for the first time after the Akali Dal left the alliance.

The BJP at the moment does not have any strong face as a chief ministerial candidate in the state. Political observers also believe that the BJP can benefit from the association with a leader like Amarinder Singh just like it did in Assam.

--IANS

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