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BJP declares more than 400 candidates for local bodies polls in Punjab
With Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar ‘missing’ from party activities, senior leader and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who has been entrusted with the responsibility to steer the party campaign in the December 21 civic body polls, chaired meetings to name the candidates.
BJP on Tuesday declared more than 400 candidates for the civic body polls scheduled on December 21 including candidates for Amritsar and Patiala municipal corporations.
With Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar ‘missing’ from party activities, senior leader and former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, who has been entrusted with the responsibility to steer the party campaign in the December 21 civic body polls, chaired meetings to name the candidates. The process continued till the filing of the news.
With this the BJP has taken lead over other parties in declaring the candidates. The ruling AAP, opposition Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal are yet to declare candidates for most the seats.
The Congress declared candidates for the 50 seats falling under Phagwara municipal corporation.
The upcoming civic body polls, scheduled for December 21, are set to be a litmus test for the BJP as they will be held predominantly in urban areas where the party has traditionally held a strong base.
Key contests will unfold in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar and Phagwara municipal corporations, areas that once saw BJP dominance during its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Except for Patiala, all these municipal bodies were previously governed by BJP mayors under the SAD-BJP alliance rule in Punjab.
The elections come at a time when the BJP is striving to expand its base independently after severing ties with the SAD in 2020. The results of these polls are expected to reflect the party’s progress in consolidating its position in Punjab’s urban centers.
