DNA Exclusive: Captain playing decisive innings to restore his `pride` in Punjab politics?

New Delhi: Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh met Home Minister Amit Shah today. The meeting lasted for 50 minutes. In politics, a lot can change in 50 minutes. This meeting could very well shape the future of Punjab politics.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Wednesday (September 29) discussed the significance of Captain’s meeting with Amit Shah, what it could mean for Punjab, where elections are due next year.

There is political speculation that Amarinder Singh may join the BJP and become the chief ministerial face in Punjab's assembly elections. However, the real strategy probably would be that simple. If Singh joins BJP, becomes a minister in the central government, or becomes the chief ministerial face of BJP, then just like Sidhu, he would look like an opportunist desperate for power.

That's why the BJP wants to work on Singh's image first and portray him as the strongest representative of the farmers of Punjab. He could be made to mediate in talks with the farmers. Perhaps that is why in this meeting, Singh and Shah had a long discussion on the issue of farmers' agitation and minimum support price for crops.

If Amarinder Singh talks to the farmers, perhaps the farmers would listen and withdraw the agitation.

Singh comes from the Jat Sikh community, which accounts for 14 to 18 percent of the total population in Punjab. Most of the landowner farmers in Punjab also come from this community. A major portion of the protesting farmers also belongs to this community. Therefore, Singh would be suited for this role.

In the 2017 Legislative Assembly elections, Singh single-handedly led the Congress to victory in 77 out of 117 seats (about 65 percent) in Punjab. While both BJP and Akali Dal together could win only 18 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party won 20 seats.

However, Singh was then 74 years old and now he is 79 years old. That's why some believe he has three options at this point in time:

First, Singh could join BJP and the party contests the Punjab elections under his leadership.

Second, he could form his own regional party in Punjab and forge a pre or post-poll alliance with the BJP.

Third, he could join BJP and the party makes him a minister at the Centre. For example, he could be made the agriculture minister.

But BJP will not make any haste in this matter. First, Singh will likely be entrusted with the task of mediating between the farmers and the government and then a decision could be taken to include him in the BJP.

Amarinder Singh, 79, is playing a test match of politics, while 57-year-old Navjot Singh Sidhu believes that he has got the wicket of Captain in 20-20 style. Meanwhile, the Gandhi family was thinking that they had claimed the wickets of both on a single delivery. However, in reality, it is the Gandhi family that lost their wicket here. After this development, the Gandhi family’s hold on the Congress party has weakened further. But the Gandhi family is like the batter who is not ready to leave the crease even after getting out. They are still looking to the third umpire hoping they will be declared ‘Not Out’.