After former Punjab Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Capt. Amarinder Singh expressed strong reservations against the appointment of Kewal Singh Dhillon as the state party president, there were speculations that the scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family might be considering an exit and return to his old party, the Congress. The speculations were further strengthened when he compared the work culture of the two parties.
The Grievance That Sparked Speculation
Capt. Amarinder said that in the Congress there used to be consultations and people were taken into confidence, while in the BJP, it was a centralized system of working and nobody talked to anyone. He quoted his personal example that despite having sixty years of experience in politics, nobody talked to him. So much so, nobody from the BJP even offered any condolences when his cousin Raja Randhir Singh expired. Compared to that, he said, Rahul Gandhi had conveyed his condolences.
Speculation Ends with Amarinder’s Delhi Huddle
However, all these speculations were put to rest after he met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister JP Nadda in New Delhi on Saturday. While Capt. Amarinder said that it was a routine meeting as he had not been to Delhi for a long time due to his back problem, the import of the two meetings was not lost on anyone, particularly when these happened immediately after his outburst over the state BJP president’s appointment, who once used to be his close aide and friend.
Delhi Reaches Out to Capt. Amarinder
It is obvious that Capt. Amarinder did not go to Delhi of his own but was in all probability, “invited” for a meeting. Normally, the high commands of national parties “summon” the regional leaders. But given Capt. Amarinder’s stature and respect he commands across the political spectrum, he was obviously specially invited by the Union Home Minister for a meeting to soothe his feelings for having been ignored for a long time.
A Politician Who Puts Self-Respect First
Although Capt. Amarinder had made it categorically clear during his interviews with multiple media outlets that he was not going to leave the BJP at any cost and had confided it to his close aides that leaving the BJP or going back to the Congress was out of the question, he is not averse to taking “bold” decisions when his principles or personal dignity are involved.
When Principles Trump Political Convenience
Capt. Amarinder took no time in resigning from the parliament and the Congress in 1984 immediately after the Operation Bluestar. Imagine, it was not easy to defy Indira Gandhi then. Capt. Amarinder was a first-time MP in his early forties. But he put his political career at stake as it involved his principles and sentiments. Besides, Capt. Amarinder had a personal relationship with the Gandhi family. Rajeev Gandhi was his Doon Schoolmate. Despite that, he opted for exit. Similarly, when the Congress showed him an ungraceful exit in 2021 as the Chief Minister, he took no time to resign from the party. There was no guarantee that he would not do the same thing this time also after feeling ignored and sidelined by the BJP. However, after being specially heard by no less a leader than Amit Shah, his dignity and self-respect have been served well.
The 2027 Question
Capt. Amarinder has one bigger difference with the BJP leadership and that is on the issue of how to go about the 2027 assembly elections in Punjab. The national BJP leadership sounds quite confident that it is in a position to win the elections in Punjab on its own. The party appears to be buoyed by the 18.5 per cent vote share it got in the 2024 General Elections in Punjab. Although the party did not win any of the 13 parliamentary constituencies, it led from 23 assembly segments. BJP repeating the feat in the assembly elections is a difficult proposition.
Why Capt. Amarinder Wants the Akalis Back
Capt. Amarinder, having been deeply rooted in Punjab politics for about six decades now, knows better that BJP winning on its own is easier said than done. He is strongly in favour of having an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal. The public perception across Punjab also favours the same view that in case the BJP and the Akalis align together, it will be a strong and formidable alliance, which can win the elections.
Experience Versus Electoral Arithmetic
So far, the BJP’s national leadership has straightaway rejected any possibility of such an alliance. The two parties had almost finalized the alliance ahead of the 2024 General Elections, but it was called off at the last minute due to some differences over one or two seats. The BJP leadership may be taking a public stand against an alliance with the Akalis, but it will be difficult for the party to ignore the advice and stand of a senior, seasoned and popular leader like Capt. Amarinder, who is speaking not just from experience but also on the basis of ground realities. After all, it is Capt. Amarinder who brought back the Congress to Punjab, particularly to the countryside, even after the Operation Bluestar and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots which took place in the aftermath of the assassination of Indira Gandhi at the hands of her own Sikh security guards.
A Voice BJP Cannot Afford to Ignore
Age, no doubt, is not on Capt. Amarinder’s side as he is 84 already; he still commands experience, insight and grasp over Punjab which the BJP can afford to ignore at its own cost. Besides, he has proved himself to be an effective administrator who has a grasp over governance. No wonder the BJP leadership did take note of his dissenting notes at the highest level.
(Views expressed are personal.)
