Amarinder confident of forming govt with BJP, Akali faction in Punjab; 'Wait for time'

In a major development, former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday asserted that his party will form the next government in the State along with the BJP and a breakaway Akali faction. Amarinder's statement comes after he held a key meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, which the former Punjab CM described as a courtesy call.

“There was no political development. I had a very nice cup of coffee with the Chief Minister,” the  former Punjab CM stated to PTI.

“Wait for the time. Everything is going fine. People are very upbeat and our membership drive is going well. God willing, we and with our seat adjustment with the BJP and with Mr. (Sukhdev Singh) Dhindsa party (SAD Sanyukt), we will form the government,” he added, when asked whether "big faces" will join his party Punjab Lok Congress.

When asked about the meeting he had with the Haryana CM, Captain said, “I have met the Chief Minister does not mean that when you meet someone, it is political something. This is just a normal courtesy call."

Captain meets Khattar

In a new political twist, Amarinder Singh met Manohar Lal Khattar at his Chandigarh residence on Monday.  The meeting between the two leaders, however, suggests that Captain is working on solidifying his alliance with the BJP. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Singh floated his political outfit and vowed to raze Congress to the ground.

After officially announcing his resignation from the Congress in a 7-page scorching letter to Sonia Gandhi, Amarinder Singh announced his new political outfit 'Punjab Lok Congress'. The former CM is looking to forge an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming polls and has decided to contest on all 117 seats, and lead his solo fight from Patiala. Apart from the BJP, Singh also informed that he will hold talks with breakaway outfits of the Akali Dal and has vowed to form a united front to defeat the Congress party. 

Congress Censures Captain Amarinder-Khattar Meet

The Congress party on Monday came down heavily on the meeting between the former Punjab CM and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar saying that anyone joining hands with the BJP would be 'rejected' by the people of the state. Speaking to Republic TV, Punjab Cabinet Minister and Congress leader Gurkirat Kotli blamed the BJP for ruining the 'atmosphere' of the state with the Farm Laws saying that a sensitive environment had been created following the reforms.