‘Favourite BJP leader’: Why 'Uncle' Amarinder Singh May Not Be 'Cool' With Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi

Published 7 August 2026 · politics

News explainers ‘Favourite BJP leader’: Why 'Uncle' Amarinder Singh May Not Be 'Cool' With Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi ‘Favourite BJP leader’: Why 'Uncle' Amarinder Singh

News explainers ‘Favourite BJP leader’: Why 'Uncle' Amarinder Singh May Not Be 'Cool' With Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi ‘Favourite BJP leader’: Why 'Uncle' Amarinder Singh May Not Be 'Cool' With Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Published By, Last Updated: August 07, 2026, 15:47 IST Rahul Gandhi gave him an Instagram AMA shoutout, but Amarinder Singh may not share same sentiment. The bitter fallout over power supply to his exit as Punjab CM, News18 explains Rapid Read Rahul Gandhi with Amarinder Singh (left). (File) During a social media interaction, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi named former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh as his favourite Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician, calling him “cool" and an “expert on military history". Despite this light-hearted “Uncle Amarinder" shout-out, here’s why the aging veteran may not share the sentiment. WHAT RAHUL GANDHI SAID ABOUT AMARINDER SINGH During a casual “Ask Me Anything" session with Gen-Z students, Rahul Gandhi smiled and warmly stated, “Hello, Uncle Amarinder… Captain Amarinder Singh, definitely. I get along with him, he’s cool".

He noted that his affection stems from Singh’s extensive knowledge of military history. The moniker “Uncle" dates back to the lifelong friendship between the Gandhi family and the Patiala royalty; former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Amarinder Singh were childhood friends and classmates at The Doon School. THE FEBRUARY 2022 DISPUTE During the 2022 Punjab Assembly election campaign, Rahul Gandhi took a sharp public swipe at Singh. He claimed he had to remove Singh from the Chief Minister’s post because Singh refused to provide free electricity to the poor, prioritizing corporate contracts with power-supplying companies over public welfare. WHY AMARINDER DOES NOT SHARE THE WARM SENTIMENT Despite the childhood ties, Captain Amarinder Singh has expressed severe bitterness toward Rahul Gandhi and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, citing professional disrespect and betrayal. After his unceremonious exit, Singh publicly slammed the Gandhi siblings, calling them “inexperienced" leaders who were easily misled by poor advisors. Singh noted that the way the central leadership handled his removal left him feeling profoundly insulted, prompting him to state that he would never return to the Congress party under their watch.

WHY AMARINDER SINGH WAS REMOVED AS PUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER In September 2021, the Congress high command forced Amarinder Singh’s resignation just months before the assembly elections due to several compounding crises The Navjot Singh Sidhu Feud: A relentless internal rebellion led by Navjot Singh Sidhu fractured the state unit. The Gandhi siblings actively backed Sidhu, appointing him as the State Congress Chief, which completely undermined the Captain’s authority. MLA Revolt: Over 40 Congress MLAs wrote a secret letter to the party high command expressing a complete lack of faith in Singh’s leadership. The central leadership repeatedly bypassed Singh to call legislative meetings in Delhi, which he viewed as the ultimate sign of distrust. Unfulfilled Campaign Promises: Singh faced immense anti-incumbency for failing to deliver on core 2017 election promises. His government was heavily criticized for failing to resolve the state’s severe drug menace, dragging its feet on the infamous 2015 Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases, and failing to hold the rival Badal family accountable. Policy Disagreements: As later alleged by Rahul Gandhi, Singh’s refusal to align with the central party’s populist agenda—such as providing free electricity to the poor—convinced the high command that he was out of sync with the party’s electoral strategy.