Former chief minister and Punjab Lok Congress chief Amarinder Singh will join the BJP next week, a party spokesperson said Friday. Singh, who is currently in London, where he is recovering after a spinal surgery, will also merge his newly formed party with the BJP.

The 80-year-old had floated the Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) last year after quitting the Congress following his unceremonious exit as chief minister. The PLC contested the 2022 state assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and the Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyuk).

Also Read | Gautam Adani back at No 3 after briefly surpassing Bernard Arnault for second spot on rich list

Singh will join the BJP in the presence of party president JP Nadda and other leaders in Delhi.

The move could be a big political development in Punjab.

His son Ran Inder Singh, daughter Jai Inder Kaur, grandson Nirvan Singh are also expected to join the BJP. 

While some sources close to the former chief minister said that the merger will take place on September 19, a senior aide said the date was not confirmed yet, the Hindustan Times reported.

However, the senior aide confirmed that Singh was joining the BJP.

Singh, who is believed to be leaving for New Delhi on September 18, had recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, there are reports that six Congress leaders, including a few former MLAs, are set to join the BJP.

Also Read | Watch: PM Modi’s arrival at Congress Centre in Samarkand

Singh had remained chief minister of Punjab for two terms from 2002-07 and 2017-21. He quit as the Congress chief minister in September 2021, just four months before completing his second tenure.