Amarinder Singh gears up for Punjab polls: 4 Congress, 6 Akali Dal leaders set to join PLC

In a significant development, Republic Media Network has learned that 10 top Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders could be jumping ship to Captain Amarinder Singh's Punjab Lok Congress (PLC). According to sources, 4 leaders from the Congress unit and 6 leaders from Akali Dal are likely to join Captain Amarinder Singh's newly-formed party which is working on an alliance with the BJP. The development could make a major dent in both the Congress and Akali Dal ahead of the crucial Punjab Elections 2022. Singh is currently in Delhi to meet the BJP top brass in a bid to stitch a seat-sharing alliance with the saffron party.

Notably, over the last few weeks, several loyalists of the former CM have broken away from the Congress party to join PLC. Last week, former Congress spokesperson Prince Khullar joined Amarinder Singh's party, citing infighting in the Congress. Similarly, Punjab unit spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal also tendered his resignation saying that it was 'hard to defend Sidhu's nonsense.' On December 11, the former CM announced three spokespersons and 10 district presidents for the newly-formed outfit. The names include some loyalists of the former CM including newly inducted leader Pritpal Singh Baliawal. 

Captain gears up for 2022 polls

After officially resigning from the Congress, in a scorching 7-page letter to party president Sonia Gandhi, Amarinder Singh announced his new political outfit - 'Punjab Lok Congress'. The former chief minister 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. “I will fight elections from Patiala only. Patiala has been with us for the last 400 years and I will not leave it for the sake of (Navjot) Sidhu".  The Patiala assembly seat has been the family bastion of the former chief minister. 

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 in Punjab. The BJP has also given a major hint in this direction. On December 15, Union minister and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP's) in charge for Punjab polls Gajendra Singh Shekhawat hinted that talks between the two are in progress and described Punjab Lok Congress as a 'like-minded' party. 

Image: PTI