Change in top leadership of Punjab BJP ahead of polls

With the Lok Sabha elections just a little less than a year away, the BJP is planning a rejig in the Punjab unit, with a change in top leadership on the horizon.

According to sources within the party, incumbent state unit chief Ashwani Sharma could be replaced, and among the frontrunners for his position is former Congress leader Sunil Jakhar, who recently joined the BJP.

Jakhar declined to comment on the matter, stating that he has not yet received any official confirmation. Sharma, on the other hand, dismissed reports of his resignation. In a tweet, he stated that he has not resigned, as it is not in the BJP’s culture to step down from positions.

The BJP had decided to contest the last assembly elections independently after Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), ended their alliance over the farm laws. With the party failing to achieve an impressive performance, demands for a rejig and change in leadership within the unit were raised. Over the past year, the party’s senior leadership has expressed the need to expand its base in the state by introducing new faces.

“For many years, the party has functioned as a junior ally, contesting only 23 assembly seats in Punjab, but now is the time to aim for a bigger presence,” a leader said.

The party is eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and has already pushed its top leaders to oversee the functioning of the party in all 13 Lok Sabha constituencies. Last year, the party appointed three union ministers to oversee the work in nine Lok Sabha constituencies as well. Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat was assigned the responsibilities for three constituencies, including Anandpur Sahib, Hoshiarpur, and Bathinda seats. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Arjun Meghwal was tasked with overseeing the work in Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Gurdaspur seats, while Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya was assigned to deal with Patiala, Sangrur, and Ludhiana constituencies.

These leaders have been extensively touring the constituencies consistently for the last year. In addition to them, two other union leaders, Hardeep Singh Puri, who recently visited Bathinda, and Minakshi Lekhi, who visited Gurdaspur, have also been pitching in. Gajendra Shekhawat concluded his two-day visit to the Anandpur Sahib constituency today.

With inputs from News18

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