CHANDIGARH: After its worst ever show in the recent Punjab Assembly elections, the BJP top brass is deliberating choosing a Sikh face to head its state unit.
The aim is to strengthen its support base in the agrarian state, especially in the rural belt, where the majority Sikhs decide the fate of political parties.
The Punjab BJP is headed by Vijay Sampla, a Dalit.
The names doings the rounds to replace Sampla are the BJP’s state former vice-president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, a Jat Sikh leader; former police officer Iqbal Singh Lalpura andHarjit Singh Grewal from Ludhiana (both state unitvice-president); and general secretary Manjit Singh Rai.
Chhina is the senior-most leader with a rural and urban following, and is a close confidant of Union Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley.
Initially,names of Rakesh Rahore, Shawet Malik and Narinder Parmar were to be sent to the BJP high command but were scrapped at the last moment.
The BJP won just three out of 23 seats it contested in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal.
“A Sikh has never headed the BJP state unit.The party may decide to opt for a Sikh face now to garner support,’’ said a BJP leader.