Capt Amarinder Singh joins BJP, PLC also merged

Amarinder Singh: Former Punjab Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief Captain Amarinder Singh joined the BJP on Monday. With this the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) merged with the BJP. Union Ministers Narendra Tomar and Kiren Rijiju were present on this occasion. Tomar said that the merger of PLC with BJP will strengthen the party.

He had met PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the last few days. Today he held a meeting with BJP National President JP Nadda. Before the Punjab assembly elections, Amarinder Singh resigned from the chief minister's post after getting angry with the Congress and formed the PLC.

The PLC contested the assembly elections in alliance with the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (United) led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa. However, none of its candidates could win and Singh himself was also defeated from his stronghold Patiala City seat.

Former Chief Minister Singh's wife Preneet Kaur is a Congress MP from Patiala. By merging PLC with itself, BJP wants to strengthen its position in Punjab. Amarinder Singh, after his meeting with Shah on September 12, said that they had very fruitful discussions on various issues related to national security, rising narcotics-terrorism cases in Punjab and the future roadmap for the all-round development of the state. Singh, a two-time chief minister, is a descendant of the erstwhile Patiala royal family.