Former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today expressed confidence that after coming together, the three parties including Punjab Lok Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal-Sanyukt will form the next government in Punjab getting absolute majority in the ensuing Vidhan Sabha elections.“I am happy that we have come together in the interest of the national security and welfare and progress of Punjab”, Capt Amarinder said in a statement after meeting with the union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP president JP Nadda, BJP in-charge for Punjab, Gajender Singh Shekhawat and the SAD-Sanyukt chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa in New Delhi today.The former Chief Minister said he was happy that the three parties had agreed to fight the elections together with a mission to bring back glory to Punjab. “With the BJP governments both at the centre and in the state, Punjab will be on an irreversible trajectory of growth and development driven by a double engine”, he remarked, while adding, the manifesto was being worked out that will address the concerns of all sections of the people of the state.
Capt Amarinder maintained that the seat sharing agreement between the three parties will be worked out very soon. He reiterated that the primary criterion for choosing the candidates will be their winnability irrespective of the party they will contest from. He said, with the massive response and great demand for party nomination from across the state, he was confident of a new beginning in Punjab politics. “We will set a record with our electoral performance”, he asserted.He reiterated his assurances and commitment to all sections of people of Punjab, including the youth and the farmers that their interest will be watched at all costs. He said agriculture was integral to the growth and progress of Punjab and there will be added emphasis on this sector. He said, ways and means will be devised to generate employment within Punjab, so that youth do not seek greener pastures elsewhere outside the country.