BJP not seeking bigger seat share: Malik

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 31

The state unit of the BJP is in no hurry to make any political statement on demanding a bigger chunk in the current seat-sharing formula with the SAD in Punjab, said the state party president, Shwait Malik while talking to The Tribune over phone here today.

“After a resounding success in the recent elections, we have already commenced the process of strengthening our party on the ground. We want to carry our public acceptance to a level where our own ally will happily give us the due share that our party deserves,” Malik said.

Under the current understanding of seat-sharing in the alliance with the SAD, the BJP has a share of contesting for three Lok Sabha seats, out of the total 13 in the state. The party contests on 23 seats of the Vidhan Sabha, out of the total 117.

Showing the Lok Sabha vote figures in comparison to the 2017 Vidhan Sabha figures in constituencies contested by the the BJP, Malik said, “Our party gained a lead of almost double in Sujanpur in the Gurdaspur constituency this time as compared to the results of the 2017 Vidhan Sabha elections. The party, represented by Sunny Deol, this time gained a lead of 34,034 votes against 18,701 in the Vidhan Sabha polls. The lead in Amritsar (North) was reduced from 14,236 to only 1,368. The damage control of votes this time as compared to the Vidhan Sabha elections was more than 60,000 in Mukerian, followed by Bhoa (56,919), Dinanagar (52,439), Ferozepur (50,633) and Dasuya (40,000).

Malik said the party led in areas of 14 Vidhan Sabha constituencies, out of its total share of 23, this time. The party vote share in the total increased from 5.4 per cent in 2017 to 9.63 per cent this time.

“I don’t want to make any statement of demanding any bigger share of seats at this juncture. My workers are continuing their programme of contacting the masses on ground. In any case, a final call towards seat-sharing is always taken by our party high command,” Malik said.

Malik said, “We have chalked out a detailed map for our workers to start work on various projects initiated by the Centre but had been left untouched by the state government. We will carry our work independently in case we do not receive any support from the state.”