BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday said that in a bid to expand its base in Punjab, the BJP will nominate Sikh candidates for more than half of the total seats in next month’s assembly elections. Speaking on the BJP-led alliance comprising Punjab Lok Congress and SAD (United), he said it was expected that majority of its candidates for the February 20 elections to the 117-member assembly would be from the Sikh community, especially the Sikh community. Farmers and OBC. Chugh said the BJP may also explore the option of declaring the chief ministerial face for the alliance.
Sources said the BJP is likely to contest 65 of the total 117 assembly seats in Punjab, while its ally Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress is likely to contest 38 seats and SAD (United) on 14 seats. . He said 33-35 Sikh candidates are in the fray and there could be more than 70 candidates from the community in the alliance. Chugh, who hails from the state on the BJP’s prospects in the polls, said the party “will surprise many with its stellar performance in the elections”.
On the question of seat-sharing with allies, Chugh did not give any details, but said, “BJP will play the role of a senior partner in the alliance.” He said, “BJP will field Sikh candidates on about half of its total seats. It will contest and the alliance will have around 60 per cent Sikh candidates overall, mostly farmers and OBCs (Other Backward Classes) and SCs (Scheduled Castes). ) community.The BJP has already announced its first list of 34 candidates, of which 13 are farmers and nine belong to the Scheduled Caste community.
Asked whether the BJP or the alliance would project anyone as the chief ministerial candidate, Chugh said, “All options are open. We are open to ideas.” When asked about the acceptability of the BJP in Punjab after the protest against the agricultural laws, Chugh said that regional players have forged an alliance with the BJP and people mostly belonging to Sikh religious bodies are joining the party, so it is acceptable to the BJP. It reflects. State. “It is the BJP which has taken concrete steps to double farmers’ income, give Rs 6,000 per year to small and marginal farmers and increase support price regularly,” he said. Therefore, for an agricultural state like Punjab, no party can be more beneficial than the BJP.
Describing the BJP as an “essentially nationalist” party, Chugh said that nationalism is at the core of its ideology, “therefore Punjab, known for its sacrifices for the nation, is an ideal place to expand its base.” To emerge as a force”. Taking a candid dig at Congress’s Punjab unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chugh said, “Punjab has suffered the most because of partition and till date Pakistan has suffered. will make those who regard him as God. Of peace.” A fully trained RSS worker, Chugh has been associated with the BJP for the past three decades. He has contested the Punjab Assembly elections twice and has been an office-bearer of the BJP national team since 2014.
read all breaking news, today’s fresh news And coronavirus news Here.
,