Road to 2024: BJP inducts Captain for Punjab innings

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, September 19: Thrown out of the Punjab politic by the meteoric rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday inducted former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in its ranks.

Captain led the merger of the Punjab Lok Congress in the BJP after a disastrous maiden Assembly elections early this year.

Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar has already joined the BJP. Captain was taken in the BJP in the presence of Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Kiren Rijiju.

Captain’s daughter Jai Inder Kaur too joined the BJP, setting up the saffron outfit to launch her into the Punjab politics. Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma was also present on the occasion.

With the induction of Captain in the BJP ranks, it appears that his launch of a political party ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections was simply a special project with a limited mandate.

The BJP is bracing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and is working on the strategy to maximize the gains from areas where the party has not been able to win seats, which also include Punjab.

“Captain’s joining the BJP is a part of the preparations for the 2024 general elections, and he will be fielded in the Lok Sabha polls. Along with Sunil Jakhar, the BJP will have some big names in the electoral fray in the 2024 elections,” said a senior BJP functionary.

Captain and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) of Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had aligned with the BJP for the Assembly elections. Captain drew a naught in the polls, losing even his own seat.

Punjab has proven to be a non-fertile ground for the BJP despite its mascot Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the party to a huge win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP’s oldest ally the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had parted ways over differences over the three farm laws enacted by Parliament and later withdrawn after more than a year-long protest by the farmers at the outskirts of the national capital.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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