Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh has said the party does not regularly seek his views on Punjab despite his long experience in the state’s politics.
Speaking about the issue in an interview with Aaj Tak, Singh said he and his colleagues had spent decades observing Punjab’s political developments and expected the BJP to make use of that experience. His remarks come ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, for which the BJP has said it plans to contest all 117 seats on its own.
Singh, who has served as Punjab Chief Minister twice, said some BJP functionaries currently dealing with the state had relatively limited experience in Punjab politics.
“My colleagues and I have spent sixty years in Punjab’s electoral politics. We have seen Punjab going through several turmoils. We have done certain things. All we expect is that the BJP would seek and value our opinion coming from our experience,” Singh said.
He joined the BJP in 2022 after leaving the Congress and merging his Punjab Lok Congress with the party. Before that, Singh had left the Congress in 2021 following differences with the party leadership.
Amarinder Singh rules out immediate BJP exit
Singh’s comments have also fuelled questions about whether he could return to the Congress, the party with which he had spent much of his political career.
However, Singh said political loyalties can change over time but indicated that he was not announcing any move away from the BJP.
“I have not said that I am no longer relevant in the Congress or the BJP. Parties keep changing. When I was in the Congress, I also went to the Akali Dal after Operation Blue Star and later returned to the Congress. That does not mean I will now leave and join another party,” he said.
He later made it clear that his criticism of the BJP’s approach to Punjab should not be interpreted as a decision to leave the party.
“It is my duty to tell my party what I feel about Punjab. That does not mean I am quitting the party,” Singh said.
His comments are also consistent with his recent public remarks that he has not been sufficiently consulted on Punjab-related matters. In a separate interview with The Tribune, Singh said he had not gained much from his four years in the BJP and maintained that the party had not consulted him on Punjab.
‘I am 84’ — Singh talks about age and politics
Singh, who is 84, was also asked whether his age had reduced his role in active politics.
He pointed to former Prime Minister Morarji Desai while discussing the possibility of remaining politically active at an advanced age.
“I am 84, but Morarji Desai was also 92…” Singh said at the launch of Bishan with Love, a book commemorating former India cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi.
The reported quote appears incomplete in the source material; Singh was making a broader point about age and political life.
Farooq Abdullah expresses wish to see Singh as Punjab CM again
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, who was present at the book launch, also spoke about Singh’s political career and expressed a desire to see him return as Punjab Chief Minister.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also attended the event. Former cricketers Kapil Dev, Syed Kirmani and Madan Lal were among the other personalities present.
BJP plans to contest all 117 Punjab seats
Singh’s remarks come as political parties prepare for the next Punjab Assembly election, expected in 2027.
The BJP has publicly stated that it intends to contest all 117 Assembly constituencies independently. Punjab BJP in-charge Satish Poonia reiterated in August that the party would fight the election on its own strength and would not rely on an alliance.
Singh’s comments therefore put renewed attention on the role of experienced state leaders within the BJP as the party prepares for the next Assembly election.
