Punjab elections 2022: BJP counting on fledgling alliance partners, turncoats

Unable to strengthen its cadre at the grassroot level in Punjab over the last two decades, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on its old horses and turncoats for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The saffron party, which derives its strength from ideology propagated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has such little presence both in rural and urban areas of the state that it couldn’t go alone in Assembly or parliamentary elections, opine political pundits.

After the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) broke its ties with the BJP over the controversial farm laws, the BJP is trying to use its new allies -- Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) -- as axillary crutches to try inch towards a respectable number of seats in the 2022 Vidhan Sabha elections.

PLC is a new political outfit launched by former Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh after he was ousted by the Congress, while SAD (Sanyukt) was floated by senior Akali leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa after breaking away from SAD (Badal).

Besides fielding its state unit chief Ashwani Sharma from Pathankot, the BJP has given tickets to its old horses including former deputy speaker of Punjab Vidhan Sabha Dinesh Babbu from Sujanpur, former cabinet ministers Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar (Central) and Tikshan Sud from Hoshiarpur, besides Surjit Kumar Jyani from Fazilka.

K.D. Bhandari will contest from Jalandhar (North) seat, Mahinder Pal Bhagat from Jalandhar (West), Gurdev Sharma Debi from Ludhiana (Central), and sitting MLA Arun Narang from Abohar.

The party has picked Renu Kashyap as its candidate for Dinanagar, while Sukhminder Singh Pintu, BJP’s Amritsar general secretary, is a replacement for Anil Joshi, who had joined the SAD last year, from Amritsar (North).

The BJP’s top leadership is also relying on many leaders who have switched over to it from other parties. The first list of 35 candidates released by it on Friday evening is in fact dominated by such turncoats.

The party, however, claims to have given due representation to all sections in its first list that includes 12 candidates with a farming background, nine from the Scheduled Castes, nine Dalits, tetired IAS and IPS officers and sportspersons.

Former cabinet minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, once a close associate of Capt. Amarinder Singh, who joined the BJP after the former CM stepped down, has been fielded from Ferozepur (City) seat. Sodhi used to contest elections from Guru Har Sahai Assembly constituency earlier.

Similarly, another close confidante of Amarinder Singh, former Congress MLA Arvind Khanna, who joined the BJP just 10 days ago, will contest from Sangrur seat.

Kanwarveer Singh Tohra, grandson of late Gurcharan Singh Tohra, one of the tallest leaders of the Akali Dal, has been given a party ticket from Amloh. Tohra, along with his family members, had joined the BJP recently.

Retired IAS officer S.R. Laddar is BJP candidate from Gill, a reserved seat. Kabaddi player Ranjit Singh Khojewala will contest from Kapurthala, while the party has fielded Ashok Baath, a retired IPS officer, from Balachaur.

After being denied a ticket by the Congress, Nimisha Mehta shifted her loyalty to the BJP, and has been fielded from Garshankar constituency. Mehta had contested as an independent candidate from Garshankar in 2017.

Mohan Lal, a former Akali MLA from Banga, is now a BJP candidate from there. Didar Singh Bhatti, Akali candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib in 2017, will now contest as BJP candidate from the same seat.

Meanwhile, SAD (Sanyukt) announced a list of 12 candidates on Friday, fielding former finance minister of Punjab Parminder Singh Dhindsa from Lehragaga seat.

PLC is yet to disclose its cards, with its chief Capt. Amarinder Singh expected to release a list of his party’s candidates by Sunday.