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BJP will contest all 117 seats in Punjab in 2022 polls: Chugh
Akali Dal snapped its 24-years old alliance with the BJP over the three farm laws passed by the Parliament.
Six days after the Akali Dal snapped ties with the BJP over farm laws, the saffron party’s newly appointed national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday said the party will contest all 117 seats in 2022 assembly elections in Punjab.
The state will have a BJP chief minister, said Chugh who was felicitated by the party rank and file in Amritsar after being appointed as national general secretary.
“We need to start groundwork with new energy as countdown has begun now,” he added.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) snapped its 24-year long alliance with the BJP last Saturday citing “injustice to farmers, Sikhs, Punjab and Punjabi language”. It also accused the BJP government at the Centre of pushing through the three laws on agriculture reforms without consultation with the party. The BJP has denied the charge and asked party leaders and workers to apprise the farmers of the intended “benefits” of the three laws while exposing the Opposition’s alleged attempts to mislead the farmers on the issue.
On Friday, Chugh was heckled near Harsha Chhina village in Amritsar district where he had gone to talk about the “benefits” of the agriculture laws.
Also Read: Cong likely to extend stir against farm laws
Chugh was addressing the villagers at the farmhouse of senior BJP leader Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina when the protesting farmers led by Sakattar Singh Kotla of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee interrupted him. He, however, continued with his speech that was aired live on Facebook.
As the police kept the agitators under control, Chugh told the gathering that the farm laws will change the life of farmers for the better.
Also Read: In Punjab, govt employees to face action if farm fires spotted on their rented out land
When the BJP leaders came out of the venue, the agitating farmers stopped their vehicles amid sloganeering. The two offered to talk to the protesters but the latter refused. Chugh assured another group of farmers that the minimum support price (MSP) of crops will stay. Chhina asked them to form a joint committee of all 31 farmer organisations to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi about their apprehensions regarding the legislations.
BJP MP and Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans on Friday offered that farmers’ issues related to new laws should be discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party national president JP Nadda. Hans, who hails from Jalandhar, said over phone that they have assured farmer unions, etc to arrange their meeting with Nadda and Modi.
