BJP doesn't consult me: Capt Amarinder Singh on why he's upset with his party

Speaking to Aaj Tak, India Today's sister channel, the two-time Punjab Chief Minister said some BJP office-bearers handling the state's affairs had not even been in state politics for a year. Despite this, he said, the party does not consider his opinion even though he has observed Punjab and its affairs for nearly 60 years.

In Short

• Amarinder Singh says some people handling Punjab today have less than a year of experience
• He recalls his move from Congress to Akali Dal during the Operation Blue Star period
• Former Punjab CM says his comments do not signal a plan to leave his current party

Former Punjab Chief Minister and BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh said the BJP does not seek his views on the state despite his six-decade-long experience in Punjab politics. His comments came months before Punjab heads to crucial Assembly polls, with the BJP eyeing a victory in the state.

Speaking to Aaj Tak, India Today’s sister channel, the two-time Punjab Chief Minister said some BJP office-bearers handling the state’s affairs had not even completed a year in state politics. Despite this, he said, the party does not consider his opinion even though he has observed Punjab and its affairs for nearly 60 years.

“My colleagues and I have spent sixty years in Punjab’s electoral politics. We have seen Punjab going through several turmoils. We have done certain things. All we expect is that the BJP would seek and value our opinion coming from our experience,” said Singh, who merged his party, Punjab Lok Congress, with the BJP in 2022. He had left the Congress in 2021 and founded his own party following a fallout with the Congress.

His remarks came amid speculation that Singh could return to the Congress ahead of the polls. Asked about the possibility, Singh said political parties keep changing, but clarified that he was not considering leaving the BJP.

“I have not said that I am no longer relevant in the Congress or the BJP. Parties keep changing. When I was in the Congress, I also went to the Akali Dal after Operation Blue Star and later returned to the Congress. That does not mean I will now leave and join another party,” he said.

Singh later reiterated that speaking about his views on Punjab was part of his responsibility as a BJP member.

“It is my duty to tell my party what I feel about Punjab. That does not mean I am quitting the party,” he said on Friday.

Responding to a question about his age, Singh said he was 84 but suggested that age did not necessarily mark the end of a political career. He referred to former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who became Prime Minister at the age of 81.

“I am 84, but Morarji Desai was also 92...” Singh said at the launch of Bishan with Love, a book commemorating former cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who was also present at the event, said he wanted Singh to become Punjab Chief Minister again and expressed his wish for the same.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also attended the book launch, along with former cricketers Kapil Dev, Syed Kirmani and Madan Lal, among others.

The 117-member Punjab Assembly is scheduled to go to the polls next year.

- Ends
With PTI inputs