Eyes on 2024 polls, BJP gives charge of 9 LS seats to three Union ministers
CHANDIGARH: Sensing a strong chance to expand its base in Punjab keeping in view the 2024 general elections, the BJP, under a well-planned road map, has appointed union ministers as incharge for nine Lok Sabha seats in the state, one for every three constituencies.
Punjab BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma said that through this programme, the party is set to strengthen its base like never before.
“Punjab comes on the top agenda of the BJP and its people have high hopes from the party as well. Through the intense touring of the Union ministers, the party is sure to get the benefit for Lok Sabha polls,” said Sharma.
The party, for the time being, has identified nine Lok Sabha seats where it thinks it has a strong chance of expanding the base. These seats have been divided into three clusters.
According to information, while Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Shekhawat would be incharge of the cluster comprising Anandpur Sahib, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda seats, Union minister of state for external affairs Arjun Meghwal will oversee Amritsar, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur seats.
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been asked to strengthen party base at Patiala, Sangrur and Ludhiana.
These ministers will be assisted by Union ministers Hardip Puri, Meenakshi Lekhi and RK Singh. The party is going to announce the incharges for the rest four seats soon.
“These ministers will start touring the constituencies from July 15 and will be spending 72-hours continuously atleast once a month besides touring the segments as per their availability,” said a senior Punjab BJP leader.
These ministers will work to strengthen the cadre and party base in Punjab- where the party earlier used to contest on only three seats out of a total 13 Lok Sabha segments.
The Union ministers will hold meetings with the local people, traders and they have been asked to provide ground reports to party chief NP Nadda every month.
In the previous general polls contested with the SAD, the BJP had won two seats out of the three contested by it, whereas the SAD’S tally was also the same out of 11 seats contested by it.
The party is eyeing joining senior leaders from other political parties during these tours by the union ministers.
In the 2022 assembly polls, the party had contested 73 seats on its symbol in alliance with Captain Amarinder Singh’s Punjab Lok Congress and Sukhdev Dhindsa’s Akali Dal (Sanyukt) and had got a vote share of 6.8%. The party could win only two seats, Pathankot and Mukerian, in the assembly polls.