Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh signals party launch

Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh has given clear indications that he would launch his own party. In a statement released to the media on Thursday, Singh said he would quit the Congress, but not join the BJP. There is speculation that Singh may have initiated the process of registering a new party.Singh blamed Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi for ‘humiliating’ him by abruptly asking him to quit as CM and said the Congress was going downhill with Rahul Gandhi making wrong decisions because senior leaders were ignored and not given a voice. He extended his support to the cause of Congress’ change seekers.Before he returned to Punjab, Singh met NSA Ajit Doval and is learnt to have discussed the security aspects, visà-vis terror designs from Pakistan and Afghanistan and also about certain people with dubious connections. “Misgovernance in Punjab would give Pakistan the opportunity to create trouble in the state and in the country,” Singh said, adding that his meeting with Doval centered around the issue.

The statement released to the press by Singh’s media advisor quoted the ex-CM as expressing his plan to quit the Congress. “I will resign-…will not stay in the party… I can’t be treated in this humiliating manner… I will not take such insults,” he said. Singh said he was in the process of firming up his next move. The Congress leadership is worried about the consequences of Singh quitting the party and launching his outfit as it could provide an outlet to many party MLAs, leaders loyal to him besides showing the potential to rally sections of Jat Sikhs and Hindu population. His keenness to play a dealmaker to get the contentious farm laws could fan his plans. There are indications that the Congress leaders had sought services of senior leader Kamal Nath to persuade his friend Singh to stay back. Ironically, the Congress leadership had earlier ignored Nath’s advice against elevating Sidhu and courting trouble with Singh. Singh said in the name of empowering young leaders, Rahul Gandhi was taking wrong decisions because he didn’t listen to experienced senior leaders.Terming the senior Congress leaders as “thinkers, who were critical to the future of the party” Singh said, “the younger leadership should be promoted to implement the plans, which the senior leaders are best equipped to formulate. Unfortunately, the seniors were being completely sidelined”. Singh also claimed the pre-poll surveys done during the late stages of his chief ministerial stint had shown Congress prospects crashing after the elevation of Navjot Singh Sidhu and the AAP gaining pace. He termed Sidhu as an ‘unstable’ and ‘incompetent’ man. In what appeared to be a reference to mess in the Punjab government and the Congress, Singh said those who undermine the growing Pakistani threat in Punjab were playing into the hands of anti-India forces by being in a denial mode. “They are killing our soldiers every day; they are pushing weapons into the state through drones. How can we overlook these dangers?”Singh condemned the attack on Kapil Sibal’s house by Congress workers only because he chose to express views which were not palatable to the party leadership. He said he had worked with many PPCC chiefs and always resolved issues amicably, without indulging in theatrics like Sidhu.