Punjab sends 13 MPs to the Lok Sabha and the saffron party is hoping to increase its number of seats from the state in the 2024 general elections. (Getty Images)
With PM Narendra Modi gearing up for a third term in 2024, the importance of Punjab has increased enormously in the BJP’s electoral calculus. PM’s outreach to the Sikh community has created a positive impression on the ground for the party
With the Lok Sabha elections just a year away, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to gain a foothold in Punjab. The saffron party, which has seen limited development in the state over the past few decades due to its now-defunct alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal, is trying hard to succeed in the border state.
With an eye on winning as many Lok Sabha seats as possible in 2024, the BJP is hoping to do well on its own. The party recently welcomed several Congress leaders and is now reportedly questioning people from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as well, boosting the morale of the cadre.
However, new entrants have also created some concerns in the ranks as sooner or later they will need to be included in ticket distribution, essentially at the cost of existing candidates.
Senior entrants include former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Raj Kumar Verka, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Jaiveer Shergill and former Leader of Opposition Sunil Jakhar.
A senior party leader, who knows the affairs of Punjab well, told News18, “BJP will face the dilemma of accommodating those coming from other parties.”
Many Congress MPs are also being told to be in touch with the BJP. So what is prompting the leaders of the old party to watch out? A senior leader explains, “The general pessimism within the Congress leaders is prevailing among the state leaders and the only alternative is the BJP.”
It is difficult to maintain peace between the current flock and the defectors, but it will not harm the BJP. It needs faces to contest the elections and the Lok Sabha elections will anyway be fought in the name of PM Narendra Modi.
With the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP embroiled in an excise scam in Delhi, the BJP is trying to capitalize on the decline in the ruling party’s fortunes, with the AAP dropping the ball on law and order in the border state of Punjab.
The latest dent in AAP’s image in Punjab is the recent violence and provocative show of strength by Punjab Dey, the heir of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh. BJP has been cautious in coming against Amritpal and putting all the blame on AAP’s shoulders. It is of the view that the central agencies cannot intervene immediately as law and order is first and foremost a state subject. BJP leaders believe that if agencies like the NIA act immediately, AAP and other parties will get a chance to accuse it of attacking the federal structure.
The BJP has seen increasing acceptance in the rural areas of Punjab, especially Malwa. party is formed Chambers and booth committees, and he believes that by July, there will be 100% booth constitution across the state. The PM’s outreach to the Sikh community has created a positive perception on the ground for the party.
yogi model vs aap on law and order
,Every second person in Punjab says that Punjab needs a Yogi. (Every other leader in Punjab says the state needs Yogi Adityanath),” said a senior leader explaining the state’s situation.
The farmers’ agitation left a bitter spot in the BJP’s relations with the state, but with Yogi Adityanath turning around Uttar Pradesh’s law and order situation, there is hope that the saffron party can do the same for Punjab.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, BJP got only two seats in the state, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. With PM Modi gearing up for a third term in 2024, the importance of Punjab has increased enormously in the BJP’s electoral calculus.
Punjab sends 13 MPs to the lower house of parliament and the saffron party is hoping to increase its strength from Punjab in the 2024 general elections. The party’s performance will depend on how well it is able to manage its core leadership and new entrants. The BJP has already made plans to bring new leaders into the fold to launch ‘Nasha Mukti Yatra’ and other mass contact programmes.
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