Former CM Amarinder Singh To Join BJP As Punjab Lok Congress Set To Merge With Ally

Captain Amarinder Singh will join the Bharatiya Janata Party next week in the presence of party president J P Nadda.

Punjab Lok Congress chief Amarinder Singh

Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief and former chief minister of the state Captain Amarinder Singh will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) next week, said PLC spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal on Friday, as reported by news agency PTI.

Singh will also merge his newly formed party with BJP.

He will join the BJP in the presence of party president JP Nadda and other leaders in Delhi, reported the news agency.

Punjab Lok Congress chief and former chief minister Amarinder Singh to join BJP next week: PLC spokesperson

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 16, 2022

Following his unceremonious exit as chief minister of the state in September last year, Singh, 80, quit Congress to launch Punjab Lok Congress.

Charanjit Singh Channi replaced him as chief minister of the state till the elections were held in the state.

Singh's party contested the Punjab Assembly elections held in February this year but failed to put up a fight against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that emerged victorious with a thumping majority. Singh himself lost his seat to AAP candidate.

Seven former MLAs and one former MP, who joined the PLC, will be among those to follow Singh on Monday, PLC spokesperson told PTI over phone.

Other office bearers and district presidents of the PLC will join the BJP in a separate event in Chandigarh next week, Baliawal added.

Singh, who recently returned from London following a spinal surgery, has met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the past fortnight.

Singh had conveyed his intention to merge his party with the BJP before departing for London, senior Punjab BJP leader Harjit Singh Grewal had said in July.

(With PTI inputs)