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Sikhs constitute 45% of BJP’s revamped team for Punjab
This is for the first time that such a large representation has been given to Sikhs, who make up 45% of the team strength, by the saffron party in Punjab
Aspiring to expand its base in Punjab, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed 26 Sikhs in its recently constituted team of 58 office-bearers.
This is for the first time that such a large representation has been given to Sikhs, who make up 45% of the team strength, by the saffron party in Punjab.
The team was announced by BJP’s state chief Ashwani Sharma on December 3.
Of the 26 Sikh faces, 15 are Jat Sikhs whereas remaining ones belong to other castes.
The development has come with the joining of several leaders from other political parties, mainly the Congress, as out of 11 vice-presidents announced for the unit, seven are Sikhs.
They include former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon, Dayal Sodhi, Captain Amarinder Singh’s daughter Jai Inder Kaur, retired IAS officer Jagmohan Raju, Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha, Fatehjung Singh Bajwa and former chief parliamentary secretary Jagdeep Singh Nakai.
Barring Nakai, who is the only former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on the list, all are the former Congress members, who have recently joined the BJP. Five of these vice-presidents are Jat Sikhs.
Among the five general secretaries announced by the BJP, two former Congress ministers -- Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Bikram Singh Cheema -- are also Jat Sikhs.
Out of 11 secretaries, six are Sikhs, including former Congress MLA from Moga Harjot Kamal Singh, former SAD leader Parminder Singh Brar, Jasmeen Sandhawalia, Jasraj Singh Longia, Sukhwinder Singh Naulakha and Daaman Singh Bajwa.
Other office-bearers from the Sikh community are Sukhwinder Singh Goldy (treasurer), Hardev Singh Ubha and Dr Surinder Kaur Kanwal (state media team members), Kanwar Inderjeet Singh (IT head), Kanwarveer Singh Tohra (state president Yuva Morcha) and Darshan Singh Nainewal (Kisan Morcha chief).
Among 12 spokespersons and chief spokesperson announced by the party, five -- Col Jaibans Singh (retd), SS Channi, Iqbal Singh Channi, Gurdeep Singh Gosha and Jatinder Athwal -- are Sikhs.
In the previous team of the state BJP with nearly 34 office-bearers, only five were Sikhs.
In the five appointments made by the party at the national level, three are of Sikhs. While Captain Amarinder Singh, a Jat Sikh, has been adjusted as a national executive member, former minister Rana Gurjit Singh and Amanjot Kaur Ramoowalia have been adjusted as special invitees in the national body.
Two Hindu faces, Sunil Jakhar in national executive and former minister Manoranjan Kalia as a special invitee, were in other two appointments made.
The party seems to have decided to move on from its traditional stronghold of Hindu and Valmiki vote bank. Congress turncoat Raj Kumar Verka is the only leader from the Mazhabi Sikh/Valmiki community on the Punjab list, whereas other Dalit communities have representatives in the form of Rakesh Bagha as general secretary, bureaucrat-turned-politician Jagmohan Raju as vice-president and Sukhwinder Kaur Naulakha as the new secretary.
Dalits constitute about 32% of Punjab’s population and dominate the state’s Majha and Doaba regions — the traditional pocket boroughs of the BJP.
Similarly, OBCs, who make up 32.4% of the population, have been represented in the state unit by only three leaders — Rajesh Honey, Harjot Kamal Singh and Shivraj Chaudhary.
State BJP chief Ashwani Sharma, when contacted, said the party has included leaders from all communities on the list.
“Since our base has increased in all segments of the society, we have tried to strike a balance keeping in view the seniority and other factors,” he added.
