AMAR Singh Hails Assam’s Draft NRC sparking His formal Entry Into BJP

INFLUENTIAL and shrewd politician Amar Singh, 62, from Uttar Pradesh joining BJP formally is not ruled out by political circles after he has gone on record appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy and programs. Recently, he was present at an event in Lucknow with honchos of India’s corporate houses where PM Modi launched 81 projects valued at over 60,000 crore INR. Born to a Rajput family at Azamgarh, UP, and an alumnus of Calcutta University affiliated St Xavier’s College, Amar Singh was General Secretary of the Samajwadi Party, UP’s erstwhile ruling party, and its Member in the Rajya Sabha. But his ties with the SP were strained and he resigned from Rajya Sabha after former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav took over the control of the SP. He was close to SP founder and former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. He indicated that he supported PM Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and do not support  ex-Chief Minister  Mayawati and  Akhilesh  Yadav  who have joined  hands to take on  BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. His reported statement that he was not averse to joining the BJP, and his participation at the PM Modi’s mega have sparked speculation about his role in BJP.

When asked about his reported talks with SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar and his chances of contesting elections from Azamgarh on that party’s ticket, Singh said, “I did not have any such talk with Rajbhar.”“I have four years of my tenure left (as Rajya Sabha MP). I don’t want to get engaged in one area. I want to visit entire UP and if possible the entire country, and speak wherever I can.”I am not a big leader, but I have an identity in the country. If I can utilise it, it will be in support of Modiji,” he said. He backed the BJP stand on the release of the draft National Register of Citizens in Assam, from which 40 lakh applicants have been left out.”No leader is saying that it is the last list. The Assam chief minister is saying no one will be asked to leave (the country). What the BJP is doing today the Congress should have done earlier,” he said. Singh was expelled from the now Akhilesh Yadav-led SP last year. During his speech, Modi had accused rival politicians of meeting industrialists behind the scenes, and not in public like him.”Amar Singh is sitting here and he can give you all the details,” he had said. Later that day, Singh attended the flagging-off of electric buses by Yogi Adityanath at his official residence. Amar Singh had also met Adityanath on July 23.