Former CM Amarinder Singh joins BJP; merges his newly-launched party Punjab Lok Congress

NEW DELHI, SEPT 19: Former Punjab chief minister and Punjab Lok Congress chief Amarinder Singh has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Monday along with his son Raninder Singh and daughter Jai Inder Kaur and supporters in the presence of senior leaders of the ruling party.

Former Congress leader and deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly Ajaib Singh Bhatti has also joined the BJP.

Singh (80) has also merged his newly formed Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Singh had floated the PLC last year after quitting the Congress following his unceremonious exit as chief minister, but his party failed to win any seat in the state assembly polls.

Singh had lost from his home turf of Patiala Urban.

The PLC contested the elections in alliance with the BJP and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur is the Lok Sabha MP of the Congress from the Patiala seat.

The BJP is seeking to strengthen its base in Punjab through this merger.

Singh had recently returned from London following a spinal surgery, and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

After his meeting with Shah on September 12, Singh said he held a very productive discussion on various issues related to national security, rising cases of narco-terrorism in Punjab and the future roadmap for the state’s overall holistic development.

The two-time former chief minister is the scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family.

-PTI