Amarinder Singh Says He Remains "Committed To BJP" After Rahul Gandhi's Praise

Former Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has said that his personal relationship with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family remains intact, but his political commitment is firmly with the Bharatiya Janata Party. His remarks came after Gandhi named Amarinder as his favourite politician in the BJP during an online interaction with students and young social media users.

During an “Ask Me Anything” session on Instagram, Gandhi described Amarinder as “cool” and said the two shared a good relationship. He also praised the former chief minister’s knowledge of military history and addressed him as “Uncle Amarinder.” Responding on Friday, Amarinder said it was gracious of Gandhi to speak positively about him and recalled knowing Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi since their childhood.

Amarinder said his connection with the family went back several decades, as former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had been his classmate and friend. He argued that personal bonds should remain separate from political commitments, citing an example from 1980 when he was a Congress MP while his mother, Maharani Mohinder Kaur, represented a rival party. Political differences, he said, had never affected their family relationship.

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Punjab BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal described Amarinder as one of the state’s tallest leaders but questioned the timing of Gandhi’s praise. He accused the Congress of remembering Amarinder while facing internal disputes in its Punjab unit. Baliawal also referred to Amarinder’s removal as chief minister in 2021, arguing that the Congress leadership had not adequately valued his contribution at the time.

Congress leader Rana Gurjit Singh said Gandhi and Amarinder shared longstanding family relations and described the former chief minister as a respected political figure. Although he declined to directly call for Amarinder’s return to the Congress, he said the veteran leader should not have left the party. Had Amarinder remained, Rana Gurjit added, he could have served as a father figure consulted by party leaders.

Amarinder led the Congress to a decisive victory in the 2017 Punjab Assembly election and became chief minister for a second term. He resigned in 2021 following internal conflict, left the Congress and formed the Punjab Lok Congress, which later merged with the BJP after failing to win a seat in the 2022 state election. His wife Preneet Kaur, son Raninder Singh and daughter Jai Inder Kaur are also with the BJP.

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