Punjab Assembly Polls: Former CM Amarinder Singh announces alliance with BJP, Seat Sharing To Be Finalised

The decision was announced after the meeting of former Chief Minister met Union minister and Punjab BJP in-charge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat earlier today. 

Written by: India.com News Desk Edited by: Sanstuti Nath

Updated: December 17, 2021, 6:09 PM IST

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Punjab Lok Congress leader and former CM Captain Amarinder Singh today met Union minister and Punjab BJP incharge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, today

Chandigarh: Former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on Friday, announced an alliance of his new party Punjab Lok Congress, for the upcoming  Assembly elections in Punjab. The decision was announced after the meeting of former Chief Minister met Union minister and Punjab BJP in-charge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat earlier today.

“After seven rounds of talks, today I confirm that BJP and Punjab Lok Congress are going to fight the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections together. Topics like seat share will be discussed later,” Shekhawat said announcing the alliance.

Captain Amarinder Singh formed his own outfit after he resigned from the Congress earlier this year, following a prolonged tussle with the party’s state unit President Navjot Singh Siddhu.

Speaking about his party’s alliance with BJP, Captain Amarinder Singh expressed confidence about winning the election and said, “We are ready and we are going to win this election. The decision on seat sharing will be taken on the seat to seat basis, with winnability being the priority. We are 101 per cent sure of winning this election.”

Earlier on December 5, Amarinder Singh had announced decision to form an alliance with BJP and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s party has been taken in principle and seat adjustment would be announced soon. He also said that the membership drive to join the party was started recently and “a committee is also being formed in the district so that people can join the party.”

With the new alliance in place, the elections in the state next year are expected be three-cornered fight between the Akali Dal-BSP, Congress and the BJP-Punjab Lok Congress. The SAD, a long-term ally of the BJP, parted ways with the NDA-led government last year at the Centre over the issue of farm laws which have now been repealed.

In the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117 member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured 3 seats.