Chandigarh, Nov 29 (IANS) Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress rebel Amarinder Singh on Monday called on Haryana Chief Minister and BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar here.
The duo described the surprise meeting as 'courtesy call'.
After the meeting, Amarinder Singh told the media that his party will form the next government in Punjab along with the BJP and a breakaway Akali faction.
"There was no political interaction. It was a courtesy meeting. I had a nice cup of coffee with the Chief Minister," Smarinder Singh said.
On his former party colleagues joining his Punjab Lok Congress ahead of next year's Assembly elections in Punjab, Amarinder Singh said, "Wait for the time. Everything is going fine. People are very upbeat and our membership drive is going string.
"With our seat adjustment with the BJP and with (Sukhdev Singh) Dhindsa party, we will form the government."
Amarinder Singh had earlier said that any seat arrangement he made with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be subject to a resolution of the farmers' issues in their interest.
On November 2, Amarinder Singh had resigned from the Congress and sent a seven-page letter to interim party President Sonia Gandhi.
He named his party Punjab Lok Congress.
Amarinder Singh had quit as the Chief Minister in September after a power tussle with state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
The Punjab Congress leaders who have distanced themselves from the so-called festering revolt in the party are: Kuldeep Vaid, Dalvir Singh Goldie, Santokh Singh, Angad Singh, Raja Warring and Gurkirat Singh Kotli, all MLAs, and Bhalaipur Ajit Singh Mofar, a former MLA.
Gurbachan Singh (55) was a relieved man after he welcomed his three sons at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here. They were among the 78 Afghan- Indians who were evacuated from Kabul to Tajikistan on Monday and to Delhi on Tuesday afternoon.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters along with former Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram, Gandhi said: "The Prime Minister and the BJP said that the Congress had done nothing in last 70 years. There is a list here of all the assets that the Congress has helped build using the public money.
Accordingly, a special Air India flight from Kabul landed at the IGi airport here on Tuesday carrying 44 Afghan Sikhs, who brought three copies of Guru Granth Sahib with them.
Four dummy AK-47 rifles, 4 dummy pistols, combat uniforms and a Maruti car were recovered from the gang. Gold worth Rs 20 lakh and cash to the tune of Rs 3 lakh were also recovered from their possession.
This is the first time that women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers have been approved to the rank of Colonel.
