Punjab polls: Amarinder Singh meets BJP's Gajendra Singh Shekhawat amid seat sharing talks

In a major development in the runup to the Punjab Assembly polls 2022, former state chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, on Tuesday, met Union Minister and BJP Punjab election in-charge, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, at his residence in Mohali amid talks of seat-sharing between the two political parties. 

Singh, on Monday, inaugurated his new party office in Chandigarh. Amarinder Singh's newly-formed Punjab Lok Congress had officially opened its party office on Friday, December 3. Earlier in November, Amarinder Singh had announced the name of his party and had applied for registration to the Election Commission of India.

Captain had said, "In principle, a decision has been taken, now seat adjustment is to be done. We will also do seat adjustments with Dhindsa sahab's party (Shiromani Akali Dal-Sanyukt). I will tell both parties that we should pick winners and support those candidates."

Amarinder Singh inviting several leaders to join new party ahead of Punjab polls

The former Punjab chief minister has already commenced preparations for the 2022 Assembly polls and is inviting several young leaders, former ministers, and leaders to join his newly formed political party. Apart from that, he is also holding a series of meetings with senior BJP leaders to prepare his strategy for the upcoming election campaigns.

In his first official press conference, Singh had confirmed that talks regarding seat-sharing are in full swing with the BJP and after PM Modi withdrew the three farm laws, he was quoted saying: "There is no problem now." 

Meanwhile, the former Punjab chief minister had also met Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at his residence and asserted that his party will form the next government in the state along with the BJP and a breakaway Akali faction.

Singh had resigned from the Congress soon after stepping down as Punjab chief minister after a bitter power tussle with state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu. He later announced that he would be forming his own party. 

According to an aide of Amarinder Singh, the Punjab Lok Congress is supposed to get approval from the Election Commission of India (EC) along with the poll symbol this week as all mandatory requirements have been met.

(With agency inputs)