Capt Amarinder Singh ready to float new party, prepares logical ground to dump Congress

CHANDIGARH: Deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha and former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh seems preparing logical ground to dump Congress party and form a new party allegedly with the backing of ruling SAD and BJP in a bid to deflate the AAP impact in the state. It is unlikely that he would join SAD or BJP but he may be falling into the trap of either of them or both of them.Though expected, the PPCC President Partap Singh Bajwa today in a statement claimed that Capt Amarinder Singh is going to float a new party with the backing of BJP. If the allegations have any substance, it raises the question that would he contest the 2017 assembly poll independently or with the help of BJP ? In such a scenario SAD may contest separately and this could be strategical move of bigger game plan of SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal. In any case even if Capt Amarinder forms a party with or without the support of SAD or BJP, does he carry the strength to emerge a force bigger than AAP in Punjab ? The emergence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab is a major challenge for SAD-BJP alliance as the people who are looking for a change in the state are rallying behind AAP, not the Congress party. The leadership issue of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) raked up by Capt Amarinder Singh had dimmed the Congress hopes of returning to power in 2017. The party has lost golden time of gaining from the under current of anti-incumbency factor.The outburst of Captain Amarinder Singh against the party high command has now made it clear that he would dump the Congress for ‘reasons’ he has apprantely hiding so far and not for the reasons he has created to take a public posture. His opposition to the appointment of PPCC Partap Singh Bajwa now appeared to have sourced from his strategy to gain personal political ground at the cost of Congress party and wait for the suitable opportunity to step out of party. His absence from Lok Sabha sessions being Deputy Leader is another strong indication that he wanted to maintain the gesture of anger against Congress party.Congress party had lost two successive assembly elections under Capt Amarinder Singh in 2007 and 2012. Even Capt Amarinder Singh would not risk third defeat in a row and will not be interested to head the PPCC to face an eminent disaster and get a kick from party high command. He has no option other than looking for other options. But he seems to have worked only on one option to neutlralise the AAP wave. It is obvious it will only help SAD-BJP to return to power, not to help Congress anyway.