Punjab elections: On exit polls day, Amarinder Singh holds 'general discussion' with Amit Shah
Punjab assembly election 2022: The former CM firmly said there was no election-related discussion between the two leaders. The state voted on February 20 and the counting of votes will be held on March 10.
Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday met Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi, saying afterwards that the two leaders had a ‘general discussion’ on Punjab, and not on assembly elections in the state, which took place on February 20, and the results of which will be announced on March 10.
Click here for full coverage on 2022 assembly polls
“Results are not here yet. I had a general discussion with the home minister, there'll be a detailed discussion once the results come in. It was a general discussion on Punjab, not on elections,” Singh said, according to news agency ANI.
The former Congressman further said he is not a ‘pundit.’ He remarked, “I am not somebody who can predict. (But) my party has done well. The BJP has done well. Let's see what happens.”
Singh's meeting with Shah took place on a day when exit polls for the recently-held assembly elections in five states, including Punjab, will be released. News channels will release their individual exit polls for the five states--the other four are Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur--after the conclusion of the seventh and final phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh, which is underway.
However, it should be noted that the exit poll results may or may not be in line with the actual results.
Also Read | Punjab polls: Just 57% young first-time voters got inked
Meanwhile, in Punjab, Singh's newly-formed Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) contested in alliance with Shah's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The former chief minister resigned from office in September last year; he subsequently left the state's ruling Congress and, in November, announced the launch of PLC.
Also Read | BJP exudes confidence about impressive gains in Punjab
The primary challenger for the Congress in this border state is the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The ruling party has fielded Captain Amarinder Singh's successor, Charanjit Singh Channi, as its chief ministerial nominee. The AAP, meanwhile, has nominated its Punjab unit chief Bhagwant Mann as its face for the top post.
Also Read | Punjab polls: AAP writes to EC to enhance EVM security
Punjab has a total of 117 assembly constituencies.