The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has firmly dismissed speculation that former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh might leave the party and return to the Congress. The rumors gained traction after Singh expressed displeasure over the appointment of Kewal Singh Dhillon as the Punjab BJP chief, claiming he was not consulted.
BJP Spokesperson Denies Defection
BJP senior spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal on Friday asserted that the rumors are baseless. “These are just rumors. He is not going anywhere, he is with BJP,” Baliawal stated categorically.
The buzz about Amarinder Singh’s discontent grew after he raised questions on Dhillon’s appointment. Singh, who quit the Congress in 2021, said he was not consulted before the decision was made.
Absence at Party Event Fuels Speculation
A section of BJP leaders, including Amarinder Singh, Raghav Chadha, and Harbhajan Singh, were conspicuously absent at a party event where Dhillon assumed charge recently. This absence led to speculation about their reasons for skipping the function.
Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, and four other Rajya Sabha members from Punjab recently switched over from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to join the BJP.
Singh’s Reservation Over Dhillon’s Appointment
The 84-year-old two-time chief minister has been vocal about his reservations regarding Dhillon, who is 76, being handed the reins of Punjab BJP just months before the 2027 Assembly elections. “I don’t think Kewal is in a position what BJP wishes him to deliver,” Singh said.
Like Amarinder Singh, Dhillon also served in the Congress for a long time before joining the BJP in 2022.
At the party event held on Wednesday, Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur and daughter Jai Inder Kaur, both BJP leaders, were present. Notably, they have pledged their support to Dhillon.
Similarly, four of the six Rajya Sabha members from Punjab — Chadha, Harbhajan Singh, Rajinder Gupta, and Sandeep Pathak — were absent from the event where Dhillon assumed charge. However, the two other Rajya Sabha members — Ashok Mittal and Vikramjit Sahney — who had switched sides with these four attended.
Singh’s Criticism of Party’s Decision-Making
Amarinder Singh has been expressing his reservation to Dhillon’s appointment, whom he calls a “friend.” “In the past we have known each other as friends, but friends is one side and political ability is the second side,” he said. “I don’t think Kewal is in a position what BJP wishes him to deliver. I say that because he has been actively involved when I was president and chief minister and his performance on the field has not been the way it should be. BJP should have given a proper thought,” he added.
Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who shares a good personal equation with Amarinder Singh, when asked about the possibility of Singh returning to the Congress, replied, “I cannot say, you will have to ask him (Amarinder).”
Amarinder Singh also feels the BJP did not consult him on such an important appointment when the party is barely months away from the Punjab Assembly polls. The election is scheduled early next year, and the BJP has said it will fight on its own.
“I was not consulted. I have been in Punjab politics for 60 years. It is up to the party to decide what they want, but at least views of people who have spent their whole lives in politics should have been taken and then they decide what they have to do,” Amarinder said.
He also touched upon the difference in working culture between the Congress and the BJP. “It is certainly not the way I have functioned in the past, let us say in the Congress. I was three times their president (Punjab unit)... I was always consulted. In fact, I was never told what to do. I did what I wanted to and what I thought was in the interest of Punjab,” he said.
Preference for Jakhar or Sharma
Amarinder felt that Sunil Jakhar, whom Dhillon replaced as state unit chief, and Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma were better choices for the post. “Why did you remove Mr Jakhar... Jakhar and Ashwani Sharma are old stalwarts. Make the person who can deliver,” he said.
Amarinder Singh also questioned the argument that the BJP required a Jat Sikh face in Punjab to lead the party. “I do not believe in this business of looking for a Sikh or any other face... Whether it is a Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, or a Christian, what difference does it make. Make the person who you think can deliver,” he said.
Personal Ties with Rahul Gandhi
In a recent media interaction, Amarinder Singh revealed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wishes him on his birthday. “I know him since he was a child, so those feelings remain,” he said. Amarinder also mentioned that he received a condolence message from Rahul Gandhi on the passing of his cousin brother Randhir Singh, a veteran sports administrator and India’s first shooting gold-medallist at the Asian Games.
