Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel has said that the party was open to considering the return of former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. He said this in reply to a question during an interview with a news agency.
Although Amarinder has repeatedly reiterated that leaving the Bharatiya Janata Party and returning to the Congress is out of the question, the buzz was sparked after a few interviews he gave a couple of months ago, where he suggested that the BJP, unlike the Congress, did not engage with senior leaders for proper feedback. At the same time, he clarified that he would remain with the BJP and campaign for it.
Amarinder is believed to have told his close confidantes that leaving the BJP at this stage is out of the question, as he has never backed out of any commitment he has made. People closely associated with him maintain that he has spurned suggestions of considering a return to the Congress. He is believed to be in touch with Ms Sonia Gandhi, with whom he has enjoyed a family relationship for years, since her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi. His interaction with Ms Gandhi is believed to be personal and occasional only.
The Congress in Punjab finds itself in a commanding and comfortable position vis-à-vis its opponents like the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party. It goes without saying that, as of now, if any party is in a position to replace the AAP, it is the Congress.
At the same time, factional fights within the Congress threaten to damage its prospects. Senior leaders in the party are competing with each other for the Chief Ministerial position, apparently not realising that they will first have to win the elections.
The Congress is badly missing someone like Amarinder, who could have proved a unifying and rallying point for the party leadership. There is a feeling among Congressmen — both in the leadership and at the grassroots level — that had Amarinder been in the Congress, its prospects of victory would have brightened. There have been demands and suggestions from multiple quarters that the party leadership should try to bring him back.
In fact, even Amarinder’s critics now admit that had he been at the helm during the 2022 elections, the Congress would not have suffered such a rout and the AAP would not have secured such a landslide victory.
Amarinder is currently indisposed and recuperating after a knee replacement surgery at a Mohali hospital. He had earlier rejected all such speculation and reaffirmed that he would continue to remain with the BJP and work and campaign for the party.
A couple of days ago, the Enforcement Directorate issued a summons to him in connection with an old case related to a trust managed by his son. The development came as a surprise to many, given Amarinder’s seniority and stature.
The Assistant Director of the ED, Ravi Tewari, who issued the summons, has since been transferred to Chennai. The development is considered significant, as the summons had caused confusion within the BJP leadership in the state.
Congress leaders tried to seize the opportunity to target the BJP. Senior party leader and AICC Secretary Pargat Singh said that this was a lesson for anyone desirous of joining the BJP, highlighting how it treats leaders. He claimed that the ED summons had been issued because Amarinder had adversely commented on the BJP’s working style. However, these arguments were negated after the ED official’s transfer, which has been directly attributed to his issuing the summons to Amarinder.
With Bhupesh Baghel also joining the issue and dropping enough hints that Amarinder is welcome, widespread speculation has resurfaced that the Congress may be extending an olive branch to him. Although a highly unlikely proposition, his return to the Congress could make a significant difference to the political landscape in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The BJP, which is planning an aggressive approach to make an impact in Punjab, cannot afford someone like Amarinder leaving the party. The former Chief Minister may not be very active on the ground, but he continues to command considerable influence. He remains one of the most recognisable and popular faces in Punjab politics. In fact, he is currently the senior-most political leader still active in the state.
It has been a complete “cycle of irony” for the Congress. The party, which disowned and showed the door to Amarinder in favour of Navjot Singh Sidhu, now appears keen to bring him back, as the “Sidhu couple” has almost drifted away from the Congress. While his wife Navjot Kaur has been expelled, Navjot Singh Sidhu continues to remain in the party but is largely inactive.
The year 2026 is likely to witness considerable political volatility, with strong possibilities of party hopping by several leaders, including some prominent ones. However, Amarinder’s return appears highly unlikely — more so after the government transferred the ED official who issued him the summons.
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