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Gandhi made the rare yet light-hearted revelation during a special Instagram ‘Ask Me Anything’ session, a part of his broader outreach to Gen Z after the recent students’ protest
LoP in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi | File image
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi revealed on Thursday that his favourite politician from the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is Punjab’s former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
Gandhi made the rare yet light-hearted revelation during a special Instagram ‘Ask Me Anything‘ session, a part of his broader outreach to Gen Z following the recent students’ protest in Delhi over the paper leak controversy linked to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026.
During the session, he took up a range of questions raised by the students. Responding to a question asking him who was his “favourite politician” from the BJP, the Congress MP said, “Definitely, Captain Amarinder Singh. I get along with him. He is cool”.
“He’s an expert on military history. So, I like him a lot”, he added, referring to the ex-Congressman’s work on several acclaimed books on military history and wars, which he drew from his service during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War and his royal Patiala heritage.
Reflecting on his cordial ties with the former Punjab CM, Gandhi added: “Hello, Uncle Amarinder!”
Who Is Captain Amarinder Singh?
Captain Amarinder Singh is a former Indian Army officer. An ex-Congress leader, Singh has served as the Chief Minister of Punjab twice. He left the Congress in 2021 after developing differences with the party’s state leadership.
Subsequently, he formed his own political outfit, the Punjab Lok Congress, but joined the BJP in 2022. On the same day, the Punjab Lok Congress was officially merged with the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about Amarinder Singh could also be interpreted as an attempt to reach out to the BJP leader ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Gandhi Channels His Inner Gen Z
In the aftermath of a widespread students’ protest –– led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) –– over the NEET-UG paper leak row, leaders from both BJP and Congress have been making visible efforts to connect with the Gen Z.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been actively sharing Instagram reels, a move that experts see as an effort to connect with and communicate in a way that resonates with younger audiences.
Along the same lines, Rahul Gandhi also channelised his inner Gen Z with a popular ‘Ask Me Anything’ session, a trend that has been popular among the young Instagram users.
August 07, 2026, 07:30 IST
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