BJP’s cadre from all around the state has been asked to campaign in Jalandhar.
NEW DELHI: The Jalandhar bypolls are seen as a litmus test for all major political parties in the state. All parties are working hard to woo voters and workers are hitting the ground to campaign for their respective political parties.
The BJP, which is going second time after last year’s Sangrur bypolls, is working hard on the ground to make its place. According to senior Punjab leaders, the central leadership is keeping a keen eye on the developments in the constituency.
The BJP’s cadre from all around the state has been asked to campaign in Jalandhar. While talking to The Sunday Guardian, a BJP leader explained that the party is using a new method where both old BJP workers and new workers, who came from other political parties, are given responsibilities in the same team. “This is done to bridge the gap between them,” a BJP leader said.
The Jalandhar Lok Sabha consists of nine Assembly seats Phillaur, Nakodar, Shahkot, Kartarpur, Jalandhar West, Jalandhar Central, Jalandhar North, Jalandhar Cantt and Adampur. In every Assembly constituency, 4-5 circles are constituted and a single circle consists of 40-50 booths. “A team of BJP workers from a district is given charge of every circle and daily report of campaigning is maintained and evening senior leaders are briefed,” a BJP leader explained.
A week ago, BJP announced the list of star campaigners for Jalandhar bypolls and mainly BJP leaders from the state are given a place on the list. The BJP’s campaign in the constituency was halted for a day after news of former CM Punjab Parkash Singh Badal came. Political rallies in Nakodar and Jalandhar City were scheduled.
In the last 2019 election, BJP was the alliance partner of Akali Dal and Charanjeet Singh Atwal of SAD secured the second position with 3,66,221 votes and a 35.90% vote share. Now, Atwal’s son Inder Iqbal Singh is the candidate from the saffron party. In 2019, Santokh Singh Chaudhry won this seat by securing 3,85,712 votes and a 37.90% vote share. Balwinder Kumar of BSP got 2,04,783 votes and AAP’s Justice (Retd.) Jora Singh got 25,467 votes.
The Jalandhar seat fell vacant after the sudden death of sitting Member of Parliament and Congress leader Santokh Chaudhry, while Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra was in Jalandhar. Jalandhar is also considered a Congress bastion. Since 1999, Congress has been winning the Jalandhar Lok Sabha. The deceased Santokh Choudhry won this seat twice in 2014 and 2019.
The BJP is also focusing on rural voters. According to BJP, the resentment among Punjab farmers has faded and BJP workers and leaders are welcomed in villages. Amid farmers’ protests, BJP was boycotted in various villages in Punjab. The voting for bypolls will take place on 10 May and the counting will be on 13 May.