Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s announcement to float a new party and ally with the BJP has set tongues wagging about his intentions ahead of the 2022 assembly election.
Many in the Congress believe that Captain is trying to woo Hindus in urban areas, who make up close to 38 per cent of the Punjab population. His “anti-Pakistan” plank about security threats and cross-border terrorism is being seen as a way of trying to turn a large chunk of Hindu voters away from the Congress.
According to a report in Times of India, Congress sources believe that Amarinder was looking to polarise Hindu voters against the party by focusing on Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Pakistan visit and his embrace of the Pakistani army chief. The ousted chief minister has been referring to Sidhu’s Pakistan visit for quite some time now, the report quoted sources as saying.
According to the Congress, this plainly shows what the party has suspected for a long time: Amarinder, even as Punjab CM, was “in league” with the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal in influencing the Hindu demographic in Punjab.
This was also reflected in Amarinder’s reaction to the recent amendment in jurisdiction rules for the BSF. The BSF has been given powers of search, seizure and arrest, at par with their police counterparts, deep into Punjab. While newly appointed chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi opposed the move, Captain supported it.
Tweeting on his behalf, his media adviser had said: “Our soldiers are being killed in Kashmir. We’re seeing more & more weapons & drugs being pushed by Pak-backed terrorists into Punjab. BSF’s enhanced presence & powers will only make us stronger. Let’s not drag central armed forces into politics.”
The Congress had denounced his support for the move with cabinet minister Pargat Singh saying it showed Amarinder was “hand-in-glove” with the BJP-ruled central government.
This is perhaps why the Congress has taken much pain in highlighting Captain’s so-called “Pakistan connection” over the past few days. The personal attacks against him with regard to his long-time friend and Pakistani journalist Aroosa Alam have resulted in much mudslinging between the two sides.
It started with deputy CM Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa saying the Punjab government had ordered a probe into Alam’s links with the ISI. Former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu also slammed Captain for his connection to Alam, making allegations that postings in Punjab Police did not happen without giving gifts or money to the Pakistani journalist.
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On October 20, Captain had announced that he will soon launch his own political party, adding that he was also open to forming an alliance with the BJP for the 2022 Punjab assembly election.
In a tweet, Amarinder’s political adviser had quoted him as saying: “The battle for Punjab’s future is on. Will soon announce the launch of my own political party to serve the interests of Punjab & its people, including our farmers who’ve been fighting for their survival for over a year.”
He then went on to add: “Hopeful of a seat arrangement with @BJP4India in 2022 Punjab Assembly polls if #FarmersProtest is resolved in farmers’ interest. Also looking at alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups, particularly Dhindsa & Brahmpura factions.”
Amarinder had met union home minister Amit Shah last month at his residence in Delhi, setting political circles abuzz with rumours of him joining the BJP.
Amarinder’s rider on the resolution over the farmers’ protests and new farm laws are the only two issues that have still kept the veteran leader from making an official commitment to the BJP regarding the assembly polls.
The Punjab BJP, however, believes a “resolution” could be worked out. While the Akali Dal snapped ties with the BJP over the farm laws, the party is hopeful that Captain could provide it with a face to hard-sell an alternate political combination to Congress, AAP and SAD-BSP.
The BJP-SAD combine had won 18 of the 117 seats in the 2017 assembly election with the BJP winning in three constituencies. The BJP had then claimed anti-incumbency against the Akalis as the reason behind its poor performance.
While the Congress gears up to form a strategy to counter Captain’s efforts to wean away Hindu voters, political experts are also saying the grand old party would have to be ready for a twin challenge in urban areas with the AAP’s rising popularity among Hindu voters.
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