BJP leader Amarinder Singh calls BJP ‘rigid,’ praises Congress’s flexibility

Congress party’s former leader and at present member of Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national executive, Amarinder Singh, on Friday (December 12, 2025) asserted that he finds the BJP rigid in its approach, even as the Congress party is more flexible and has a consultative outlook.

Captain Amarinder, who remained Punjab’s Chief Minister twice during the Congress regime, joined the BJP in 2022 after merging his party, the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC). He left the Indian National Congress in 2021 on the pretext that he was hurt by conduct of the party leader Sonia Gandhi and her children – Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra Gandhi.

Mr. Singh’s latest remark, coming ahead of the Assembly election in Punjab, which is due in early 2027, is seen as politically significant as the BJP continues to make efforts to establish itself as a significant political force in Punjab.

Talking to select media, Mr. Singh said “..Punjab is a different area. Look at it, everywhere the BJP is pulling through, why not in Punjab? See previous elections, how many seats have some, hardly any.”

Elaborating on the reasons, he added, “And the reason is that you (BJP) don’t consult people who have been in the field, who know what to say. The decisions are taken at the upper level, even in the Congress, the decisions were taken at the top level, but they used to consult us, everyone – MLAs, MPs’ views were taken. Here (BJP), I don’t think anyone has asked.”

Responding to a question does he misses Congress, Mr. Singh said “No, the system there was different, I miss the system. A broader type of consultation used to take place there (Congress) and there was a value of experience, which is lacking here (BJP). Congress is more flexible in taking views, the BJP, I find, is a bit rigid in its approach.”