The political situation in Punjab has been volatile as of late. With all the turmoil taking place, from farm fires to protests over the now-repealed farm laws, it’s no surprise to anybody that the political landscape of the state has been changing rapidly. Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from his position as the state’s Chief Minister and parted ways with the Indian National Congress (INC) over ideological disagreements and infighting. He has founded his party called ‘Punjab Lok Congress’.
Here is everything you need to know about the party and Captain Amarinder Singh’s political aspirations:
Singh established this regional political party on November 2nd, 2021, after his split with the INC. The party had applied for its official registration with the Election Commission of India three days earlier, on October 31st 2021. Soon after, on December 28th, the party entered into a formal coalition with the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal(S), cementing their position as rivals to the INC going into the 2022 State Assembly elections. Singh announced that the party would contest all the 117 seats in the state elections. He has maintained for a long time that he is willing to align with any party that aligns with his interests and will focus on the long-term growth and prosperity of Punjab. He gave a statement back in December stating, “I will not rest until I can secure the future of my people and my state”. Ever since he gave his resignation in November, speculations had been rife about him joining hands with the BJP as he had met Union Minister Amit Shah soon after. He claimed to have had a discussion around the issues surrounding the farm laws and asked for their immediate repeal and guaranteed MSP.
What does the future hold?
Singh’s chad claimed earlier that he resigned from the INC after being fed up with the prolonged infighting, particularly with the cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu. He expressed having felt humiliated at how the party had treated him handled the situation in Punjab from the headquarters in Delhi. After having no hope for a reconciliation, he turned his gaze elsewhere and teamed up with the BJP and SAD(S). He says that he was annoyed that the party leadership undermined him by calling for a Congress Legislative Party meet when it is the responsibility of the chief minister to do so. It is not the first time that Singh has switched parties; notably, he left the Congress for SAD in 1984 out of protest against the army’s attack on the Golden temple. In 1992, he broke away from SAD to form his group.
Their focus remains on the development of Punjab and maintaining communal harmony and the state’s economic prosperity. However, whether or not the alliance will win a majority despite the turmoil remains to be seen.
