Captain Amarinder Singh set to join BJP; Final call next week

New Delhi, July 01: Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) next week. A final decision on the same would be taken after his return from London.

The veteran leader is expected to merge his Punjab Lok Congress party with the BJP after his return next week.

Singh underwent successful spinal surgery in a London hospital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh to enquire about his health.

Amarinder Singh who was made to resign last year following a bitter power tussle with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had left the Congress and then had formed his own political outfit Punjab Lok Congress.

"I was humiliated three times by the Congress leadership in the past two months. Previously MLAs were called to Delhi twice and now they convened Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting here in Chandigarh today," Captain Singh told while resigning.

The Punjab Lok Congress was an ally of the BJP in the recent state assembly polls.

Notably, another veteran Congress leader Sunil Jakhar also quit the party to join the BJP in May.

"It is not easy to break a relationship with the Congress that spanned three generations - from 1972 till now. We had been with the Congress in good times and bad," Jhakar said.

Amarinder Singh contested the April-May Punjab election in an alliance with the BJP but lost from the Patiala seat and even forfeited his deposit.