New Delhi: After two months of Shiromani Akali Dal's separation from the NDA alliance over the farm laws, Bhartiya Janta Party officially declared for the first time that the party will contest the 2020 Vidhan Sabha polls solo. BJP National General Secretary and leader from Punjab Tarun Chugh along with a new team of State in-charges made it clear that the party will contest 117 seats in the Punjab assembly election.
BJP contested solo till 1992 and then entered into alliance with SAD. BJP General Secretary Dushyant Gautam has been made in-charge of Punjab, Chandigarh and Uttrakhand on November 13. The appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Punjab BJP in-charge underlines the party's focus on Dalit voters in Punjab.
Gautam is also former two-time president of BJP's Schedule Caste Morcha and had worked in Punjab. Over 30% population of Punjab is Dalit, the highest across India. So by the fresh move of entrusting the state's responsibility on Gautam, BJP is clearly focusing on Dalit voters.
Bhartiya Janata Party has constantly worked to win over Dalits vote bank in Punjab but it has not succeeded much. The only Dalit Member of Parliament from Punjab, Somprakash is now Minister of State for Industry and Commerce in Union Government.
Read: BJP to contest Punjab Assembly elections 2022 on 117 seats
Earlier, Vijay Sampla was not only induced in Narendra Modi government in 2014 as Minister of State for Social justice and Empowerment but was also elevated as Punjab State president.
BJP attempts to highlight atrocities against Dalits in the state. In November 2019, Dalit Jagmail Singh of Sangrur died in hospital after he was allegedly tied to a pillar and was beaten mercilessly by four upper caste accused. Bhartiya Janata Party formed a committee of 3 MPs led by its National Vice-President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe to enquire into killing and submitted a report to party leadership after visit.
After farm laws, farmers, mostly Sikhs, are against the BJP. Though Dalits have been united against BJP in various protests but the party wants to highlight and take advantage of post matric scholarship scam in which allegedly Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot is involved.
The scholarship amount meant for Dalit students is allegedly misused. MoS and MP Som Prakash took up the matter with Union Government and the matter is under investigation.BJP has also appointed Jammu based Sikh leader Narendra Singh as co-incharge of party affairs to focus on Sikh votes.
Also read: Talks between Punjab farmer bodies', Centre remain inconclusive
