BJP in poll mode: Now, Rajnath to visit state

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 26

The BJP is in a proactive mode in the state. A galaxy of its top leaders, led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Maneka Gandhi, along with other Ministers will visit the state in next fortnight.

Underlining the importance of the state ahead of the 2017 Assembly polls, the party has roped in senior leaders and Ministers. Earlier, the leaders were to visit five districts.

The revised programme includes the visit of the Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Pathankot on May 31. Besides, Jaitley will visit Bathinda, Dr Harshvardhan (Mohali), Sushma Swaraj (Gurdaspur), Uma Bharti (Moga), Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar (Hoshiarpur), Maneka Gandhi (Patiala) and Jagat Parkash (Jalandhar).

The programme begins tomorrow with Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan addressing a rally in Amritsar and Union Minister Radha Mohan in Ludhiana,

Pathankot is significant for the party as it has a strong base there. The choice of Bathinda for the visit of Finance Minister Arun Jaitely is also being viewed with interest as he would be holding a programme in the citadel of the Badal’s. He will not be accompanied by Union Minister for Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Though their coalition partner, SAD has remained active in such organisations, the BJP is organising such major programmes in the state for the first time. The functions would be a litmus test for the newly appointed BJP state president Vijay Kumar Sampla. Interestingly, he is yet to announce the organisation structure of the party.

The BJP is also active in expressing its concern on day to day events. The core group meeting of the party had yesterday cautioned the CM on deteriorating law and order problem.