Chandigarh: Former Punjab chief minister and senior BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh said he has gained little since joining the BJP four years ago and claimed that the party had not sought his advice on Punjab during this period.
Amarinder said the BJP did not understand Punjab and that he had not been consulted on the state’s affairs. He also backed the release of MP Amritpal Singh, saying that being in jail could further increase his popularity.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Amarinder said Mann appeared more like an actor than a chief minister. He also did not rule out the possibility of becoming Punjab chief minister again.
Amarinder said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could also become Prime Minister.
Amarinder had served as Punjab chief minister twice under the Congress government. The Congress removed him from the post in 2021, after which he formed his own party and later merged it with the BJP.
Amarinder criticises Mann government
Amarinder criticised the current Punjab government, alleging that it had forgotten that it was a government. He claimed there was no control in the state and that people were working according to their own wishes.
He said Mann appeared more interested in being an actor on screen than functioning as chief minister. Amarinder also alleged that drug trafficking was increasing, farmers were dissatisfied and unemployment was rising.
Says BJP needs Akali alliance for 2027
On the 2027 assembly elections, Amarinder said an alliance was necessary for the BJP in Punjab. He said that if the BJP wanted to form the government, it should ally with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
He noted that the BJP and Akali Dal had been long-time allies and had formed governments together two or three times in the past.
Amarinder said another option for the BJP was to contest the election alone and remain out of power for a longer period. However, if the party wanted to form the government, he said an alliance with the Akalis was necessary.
On Waris Punjab De, Amarinder said its ideology did not match that of the BJP and therefore an alliance between the two was not possible.
