Never thought of joining BJP due to differences with Cong, says Capt

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday categorically denied having ever toyed with the idea of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) due to differences with the Congress.

Dismissing media reports to this effect as “misrepresentation of facts”, Amarinder said that though he did think of launching his own party, the thought of joining the BJP never crossed his mind. He stated this in a conversation with Suhel Seth after the Delhi launch of his book on the Saragarhi battle, and the unveiling of his authorized biography `The People’s Maharaja’, according to an official release.

Claiming to be a positive man, who always preferred to look at things and situations positively, Captain expressed confidence that the Congress would bounce back “as there are ups and downs in politics”.

Asked about his prediction of defeat of Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Amarinder said he merely read the situation on the ground and found that there was no groundswell in the party’s favour, just hype in the media.

On former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the Congress leader said he had nothing personal against the Badals, who had their own way of thinking.

Amarinder also warned of the risk of revival of terrorism if the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal was constructed, causing southern Punjab to go dry. He said water was the main issue in the Anandpur Sahib resolution and could again become the source of violence in the state. HTC