Punjab BJP bets on big guns to win more seats in 2024 LS polls

BJP has devised a new strategy to gain maximum seats in Punjab in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. More focus is being placed on strong political faces to boost the winning chances. However, political experts say that it is not going to be an easy task for the saffron brigade.

Chandigarh: After suffering reverses in the Punjab 2022 Assembly elections, the BJP has come out with a new strategy to win as many seats as possible in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Of the total 13 LS seats in Punjab, Malwa region accounts for the largest number of 7 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chalked out a mission to win majority seats in Malwa with the help of political bigwigs who have joined it after leaving the Congress and other parties.

Punjab is broadly divided into three regions. These three regions are Malwa, Majha and Doaba. The seven LS seats in Malwa region are Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Faridkot and Ferozepur. There are 14 districts in total in this region with 69 seats in Vidhan Sabha. Considering the importance of Malwa, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is coming to Patiala on January 29 this year for the first time.

Also, BJP national president JP Nadda and more big leaders are expected to visit Malwa as well as other important places in Punjab as part of the Mission 2024 polls. Majha area is bordered by Pakistan and it has 4 districts - Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur. BJP currently holds Gurdaspur seat. Doab area lies between the Sutlej and the Beas rivers. This area is important in terms of NRI and Dalit vote bank. BJP's central minister Somprakash is from Hoshiarpur, a BJP stronghold.

Presently, Congress holds 8 out of 13 LS seats in Punjab followed by two each of Akali Dal and BJP. One seat is held by Simranjit Singh Mann, who is also the patron of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) party. The big thing is that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal contested the election together. But this alliance broke down during the three farm laws. Now in 2024, BJP will contest all 13 seats alone, sources said.

The BJP's game plan for 2024 is to use big leaders who have joined it from the Congress party and other parties. They included former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, former Punjab Congress President Sunil Jakhar, Balbir Singh Sidhu, senior party leaders Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Raj Kumar Verka, Fatehjung Singh Bajwa and now former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal. Most of these leaders hail from Malwa. However, Rajkumar Verka and Fateh Singh Bajwa are from Majha region.

After its split from the Akali Dal in Punjab, the BJP has faced a crisis of leadership due to lack of bigwigs. This is the reason why many new and strong faces have been included in the Punjab BJP in recent times. Of of them is former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.