Eyes on 2024 LS polls: Union ministers begin move to strengthen party base in Punjab

Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Arjun Meghwal and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Friday evening landed in Punjab and are camping in Bathinda, Amritsar and Jalandhar, respectively.

The BJP on Friday launched its ambitious programme to strengthen its organisational structure in Punjab with three Union ministers touring three Lok Sabha segments.

Union minister of state for culture Arjun Ram Meghwal (C) with BJP leader Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi (R) and Shwait Malik (L) addressing the media in Amritsar on Saturday. State BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said more ministers will visit Punjab as per the schedule finalised by the party high command. (Sameer Sehgal /HT)

Union minister for petroleum and urban development Hardeep Singh Puri, Union minister of state for external affairs Arjun Meghwal and Union minister of state for rural development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Friday evening landed in Punjab and are camping in Bathinda, Amritsar and Jalandhar, respectively.

While Meghwal is in-charge of the Amritsar Lok Sabha seats, Puri is looking after Bathinda with Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The BJP has appointed Union ministers as in-charges for nine Lok Sabha seats in the state, one for every three constituencies. The party for the time being has identified nine Lok Sabha seats where it thinks they have a strong chance of expanding the base and has divided them into three clusters.

According to information, while Shekhawat has been appointed in-charge of a cluster having Anandpur Sahib, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda seats, Meghwal will oversee Amritsar, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur seats.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has been assigned the task to strengthen the party base in Patiala, Sangrur and Ludhiana.

Union ministers Meenakshi Lekhi and RK Singh will also assist these ministers and the party is planning to rope in 10 more Union ministers for this task, it is learnt.

These ministers will be spending 72-hour at least once a month in a particular Lok Sabha segment besides touring the segments as per their availability.

On Saturday, Puri, Meghwal and Jyoti conducted more than 20 meetings with party leaders and people from different walks of life to take feedback about how to strengthen the party in the state.

As per a senior BJP leader from Delhi, the Union ministers have been asked to give the details of their meetings and feedback to the party high command after every visit so that these suggestions are inculcated in the party strategy.

State BJP chief Ashwani Sharma said more ministers will visit the state as per the schedule finalised by the party high command.

“The only aim is to strengthen the party organisation in Punjab. People see the BJP as the only hope for the state, especially after the utter failure of the AAP-led state government on all fronts,” said Sharma.

Meghwal reaches out to party workers in Amritsar

AMRITSAR : Union minister Arjun Meghwal on Saturday visited the holy city to meet the party rank and file belonging to the Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency.

The Central leadership of the party has entrusted the responsibility of the Amritsar Lok Sabha elections to Meghwal. He reached Harbans Lal Khanna Smarak, district office of the saffron party, to interact with the workers of the nine assembly constituencies of the Amritsar segment.

Former Punjab minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, who was present on the occasion, said the base of the BJP in the state is increasing day by day and people of every section are joining the party.

Buckle up for 2024 LS polls: Jyoti

Jalandhar Union minister Niranjan Jyoti reached Jalandhar for a three-day visit. She met beneficiaries of Central government schemes and attended various meetings of the party. She also conveyed to party workers to buckle up for the 2024 LS election in Punjab as it will lead to the formation of a BJP government in Punjab.