New Delhi: Amarinder Singh said today that he is not joining the BJP but quitting the Congress, confirming speculation that had been swirling since he was forced to quit as Punjab Chief Minister on September 18.
“So far I am in the Congress but I will not remain in the Congress. I will not be treated in this manner,” the Captain told NDTV in an exclusive interview a day after meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Congress had reached out to Amarinder Singh amid signs of another big exit from the crisis-hit party.
Senior Congress leaders Ambika Soni and Kamal Nath are trying to placate Amarinder Singh, sources say. But the Captain, who has been in Delhi since Tuesday, has tellingly not sought any meeting with his party president Sonia Gandhi as he continues his meetings with the “other side”.
The former Chief Minister met with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval this morning. Sources say he may have discussed Punjab border security amid political turmoil in the state.
The 79-year-old stalwart had so far kept the Congress on the edge, neither confirming nor denying that he is exploring his options after being forced to quit as Punjab Chief Minister on September 18, just four months before state polls.
With inputs from NDTV