Former Punjab Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday questioned the BJP’s decision to appoint Kewal Singh Dhillon as the state party chief, while acknowledging that the party was not yet in a position to independently win elections in the state.
In an exclusive interview with The Tribune, Capt Amarinder said the BJP leadership had not consulted senior state leaders before making the appointment and asserted that organisational capability, rather than caste considerations, should have guided the choice.
“I don’t think Dhillon is in a position to deliver what the BJP wishes him to deliver,” the former Chief Minister said, adding that while Dhillon remained a personal friend, his political performance in the past had not been satisfactory.
The two-time CM said he was not consulted on the appointment despite spending over six decades in Punjab politics and having taken positions on important issues, including resigning from the Congress in the aftermath of Operation Bluestar.
Drawing a comparison with his years in the Congress, Amarinder said state leaders there traditionally enjoyed greater autonomy. “In the Congress, I was always consulted. Here, from what I have seen in the last six years, they decide what they want to do and just do it,” he remarked, suggesting that the BJP’s functioning style was highly centralised.
He also questioned the logic behind replacing outgoing Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and working president Ashwani Sharma. “What is this business of appointing a Jat Sikh as president?” he asked while reacting to suggestions that Dhillon’s appointment was aimed at social engineering. “Make that person party president who you think can deliver.”
At the same time, Capt Amarinder acknowledged the growing importance of Dalit politics in Punjab and said Dalit communities would continue to play a major role in the state’s electoral landscape.
The former CM again strongly advocated reviving an alliance between the BJP and the SAD, arguing that the BJP lacked the cadre base and grassroots infrastructure to succeed independently in Punjab. “I don’t think at the moment we are in a position to do it,” he admitted when asked whether the BJP could win on its own.
He argued that for decades the BJP had depended on the Akali Dal for rural outreach and organisational support and had failed to build an independent political structure in Punjab.
His remarks came against the backdrop of civic body poll results in Punjab, where the BJP performed poorly even in several urban areas traditionally considered its support base.
“If your municipal corporations are doing badly, municipalities are doing badly, that is the BJP’s base. And if that’s doing badly, then where are you winning?” he asked.
The senior BJP leader also launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, accusing it of being remotely controlled from Delhi.
“I have never seen a government like this functioning,” Capt Amarinder said, alleging that key decisions were being handled by AAP leaders outside Punjab rather than by the state leadership itself. At the same time, he described Punjab’s current political situation as deeply fragmented and unpredictable.
“Even God doesn’t know what’s going to happen,” he said, echoing a recent remark by Home Minister Amit Shah on the uncertainty surrounding Punjab politics. Shah had remarked: “Brahma ji bhi nahin bata sakte ki Punjab mein kya hone wala hai (Even Lord Brahma cannot predict what is going to happen in Punjab).”
Capt Amarinder also expressed concern over Punjab’s economic slowdown, agrarian distress, law and order issues, and security challenges arising from the state’s border with Pakistan. Punjab doesn’t deserve what we’re getting,” he said. “Everyone is asking what they get out of politics. Nobody is thinking about Punjab first.”
