CHANDIGARH: BJP National President Nitin Nabin on Sunday expressed confidence that the party would eventually form a government in Punjab, saying the BJP was determined to strengthen its base in the state.
Speaking to the media in Jalandhar during his three-day visit to Punjab, Nabin said, “Just as the BJP achieved victory in Bengal, we will fight hard in Punjab and make the lotus bloom here too. The trust people have in Prime Minister Narendra Modi will certainly bring about change in Punjab, and the state will move forward while upholding its security and culture.’’
His visit is being seen as part of the BJP’s efforts to expand its presence in Punjab.
Addressing a gathering after participating in the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, Nabin said the BJP would continue efforts to eliminate the drug menace from the state.
“The BJP will not allow Punjab to be hollowed out. The poison of drugs must be eliminated at all costs. The name and trace of drugs should disappear from the state and every Punjabi should be concerned about this issue,” he said.
Nabin said people across Punjab were showing enthusiasm for the BJP and extending strong support to the party. He added that the BJP was committed to contributing to the state’s development and strengthening its presence across the region.
On Saturday evening, Nabin led a roadshow in Jalandhar along with senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Chugh.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu said Punjabis had made up their minds to bring the BJP to power in the state and that public enthusiasm for the party was clearly visible.
Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon said, "With the support and love of the people, we will form the government in the state.”
As part of his visit, Nabin is scheduled to meet noted agricultural economist Padma Bhushan S.S Johl at his residence in Ludhiana on Monday to discuss agricultural and economic revival in Punjab.
Johl, a former National Professor of Agricultural Economics at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and former Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has advocated procurement of crops other than wheat and paddy at MSP, including maize, cotton, pulses and oilseeds, along with compensation for farmers to encourage crop diversification.
