Amarinder Singh meets Amit Shah, BJP sees an opportunity in Punjab

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], September 29 : Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital on Wednesday evening.
The meeting took place amid efforts of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to make the contest in the forthcoming assembly polls in the state wide open.
The BJP faces a formidable political challenge in the state from ruling Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and SAD-BSP combine. Shiromani Akali Dal was a trusted partner of BJP in Punjab but parted ways over its opposition to farm laws.
If Amarinder Singh joins the BJP, the political equations in the state will change and will give the party an advantage in assembly polls.
From being seen as a "non-contender" in the power equations, the BJP is looking to emerge as a formidable contestant in Punjab assembly polls.
Party sources said BJP has always had a soft corner for the former Punjab chief minister due to his nationalist outlook on various important issues.
They said if he joins, the BJP will have a strong leader in the state. The BJP is apparently also looking at the possibility of using Amarinder Singh's services to tone down farmers agitation or to have some sort of mediation.
The senior leadership of the BJP was in touch with Singh over the past several weeks, sources said.
Punjab is among the states ruled by a non-BJP government and the party hopes to do well in next year's assembly polls.
The state is scheduled for Assembly polls early next year for 117 Assembly constituencies.
Amarinder Singh, who stepped down as Chief Minister earlier this month, had reached Delhi on Tuesday.
The Congress leader had told reporters on his arrival in the national capital that he had come to Delhi to vacate Kapurthala House. He had also said that he was not going to meet any political leader.
Singh's visit to Delhi has coincided with Congress in Punjab reeling under fresh crisis following the resignation of PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday. A minister and some other leaders considered loyal to Sidhu also subsequently resigned.
Capt Amarinder Singh had taken a dig at Sidhu over his resignation, saying that he is not a stable man.
"I told you so...he is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab," Amarinder Singh had said in a tweet.
While stepping down as chief minister, Amarinder Singh had slammed the party leadership saying he had been let down.
The former chief minister had also said that he felt "humiliated" adding that he had been summoned thrice by the central leadership in the past two months.
Sidhu was made PCC chief by Congress leadership in July to tackle infighting in Punjab Congress ahead of next year's assembly polls but the party is now grappling with a fresh crisis.