New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks likely to contest the Punjab assembly elections alone, with its state president Ashwani Sharma telling the National Executive meeting that it is prepared to contest on all 117 seats.
Sharma’s presentation before the party’s top decision-making body signals that the BJP is so far not looking to enter into an alliance with any other party.
Speaking to ThePrint, Sharma said: “We are preparing and strategising to contest on all the 117 seats. Right from working at the booth level and strengthening the party at the organisational level, we will do everything to ensure we deliver.”
Asked if this means the party will not enter into an alliance with Captain Amarinder Singh’s new party, as the former Punjab CM had announced, Sharma said the BJP is concentrating on preparing for all 117 seats. “Any other policy decision regarding elections will be taken by our parliamentary board,” he added.
Union minister and senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav was also asked by mediapersons about the potential alliance with Amarinder’s new Punjab Lok Congress, but he also maintained “the state president said we are ready to contest all the 117 seats”.
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Current state of BJP in Punjab
The Congress had won the last assembly elections in 2017 with a clear majority under Amarinder’s leadership and formed the government in Punjab. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could secure only 15 seats while its ally BJP managed to win three. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 20 seats.
However, the BJP has since split up with its oldest ally SAD, which walked out of the National Democratic Alliance over the Modi government’s three contentious farm laws. The party had performed poorly in the local body polls held earlier this year, and BJP leaders faced violent protests from the people over the farm laws during the campaign.
(Edited by Shreyas Sharma)
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