CHANDIGARH: The BJP will contest all 117 seats in Punjab in assembly elections for which as the party has given a new slogan – ‘Nawan Punjab BJP De Naal’ (A new Punjab with BJP). The party is open to seat sharing if Amarinder Singh floats his new outfit.
The party has repeated its stand that it is ready to have a dialogue with the protesting farmers as it claims that they have been “misguided for vested political interests”.
The BJP’s Punjab in-charge and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday sought to clear his stand on the question of alliance with Amarinder.
“As of now Amarinder has said he is ready for seat sharing, so let him respond. My party’s parliamentary board will decide on it,” Shekhawat said.
“We will welcome all those who accept our ideology,” he said, claiming the party will form the next government in the state.
He said the Congress state unit was a divided house and that in the last six months,over 5,000 people from other parties have joined the BJP in Punjab. Shekhawat said the BJP will give due political recognition to all segments in the state. He accused the other parties of lacking any vision for the prosperity of the state. “The voters will reject them.”
On the farmers’ agitation, he said the government put the new agricultural laws on hold for 18 months.
“Even now we are ready for talks as our intentions to address the issue can never be doubted. Our doors are always open,” he said.
On expanding the BSF jurisdiction, Shekhawat said national security was beyond compromise.
The incidents of drug smuggling and drones carrying weapons had increased manifold. Amarinder had raised the issue a number of times with Home Minister Amit Shah.
“The special assembly session called on November 8 by CM Charanjit Singh Channi on the BSF jurisdiction is a ploy to divert the attention of the public from key issues,” he said.