Eye on 2024 poll, BJP sets out to strengthen rural cadre

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, February 22

With an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to cement its base in Punjab.

Next year will be for the first time that BJP will contest the parliamentary polls on its own. During its coalition with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the BJP reportedly had influence in the urban segment of the state only, whereas the rural belt was majorly taken care of by SAD.

To make its presence felt in rural segments and streamline party activities, the party has been conducting zonal meetings.

The maiden Majha zone meeting was held at the Jandiala Guru today and was attended by the heads of seven districts in the presence of BJP Punjab’s in-charge Vijay Rupani, co-in charge Dr Narinder Singh Raina, party’s state president Ashwani Sharma, general secretary Manthri Srinivasulu and state vice president Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju.

To further intensify its preparations, the saffron party has also planned to target the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the issue of drug abuse by launching a ‘Nasha Mukti Yatra’ in March. This yatra will commence from Amritsar and will be kick-started by Union Home minister Amit Shah.

Rupani said under this programme, the BJP would take out the yatra in the cities and villages of the 117 Vidhan Sabha constituencies across the state to create awareness against drug menace and its consequences.

Before SAD parted ways with the BJP over the Centre’s ratification of the three farm laws which have now been repealed, the alliance partners used to have a seat-sharing arrangement.

Till now, the saffron party was contesting on just three of the total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, whereas SAD fielded its candidates on 10 of these seats. Currently, the BJP has just two MPs in Lok Sabha — Union Minister of State Som Nath from Hoshiarpur and actor-turned-politician Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur

Sharma said the Congress, SAD and AAP had been exposed and the BJP’s cadre had risen in both urban and rural areas with people understanding its welfare policies and their advantages. “People of Punjab feel like they have been deceived, abandoned and left ‘Ram bharose’ (God’s will) under the current regime. They are fed up with out-of-control drug menace, corruption and deteriorating law and order in the state,” he said.

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