Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will join the Bharatiya Janata Party on September 19, The Hindu reported, citing Pritpal Singh Baliawal, a spokesperson of his party, the Punjab Lok Congress.

Singh will also announce the merger of the Punjab Lok Congress with the BJP. Twelve former MLAs are also expected to join the BJP along with Singh. These MLAs had quit Congress last year after Navjot Singh Sidhu was appointed as the president of the party’s Punjab unit.

The development comes days after Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 12.

“Discussed various issues pertaining to national security, the rising cases of narco-terrorism in Punjab and the future roadmap for the overall holistic development of Punjab,” Singh had written in a tweet after the meeting.

After resigning from the Congress in November, the two-time chief minister had floated his own party, the Punjab Lok Congress. He contested the state Assembly elections held earlier this year in an alliance with the BJP and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

However, Singh lost his Patiala Urban constituency to the Aam Aadmi Party candidate Ajit Pal Singh Kohli.