BJP confident of springing a surprise in Punjab

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, June 3

The BJP, a party which most of the political analysts dismissed as not a serious contender in Punjab, is suddenly in the reckoning for an upset win in several constituencies.

Says it’s now a force to be reckoned with in state

• Sources said as per its own internal assessment, the BJP is hoping to win 4-5 seats with a sizeable vote share. The party analysts feel it can come close second in two or three other seats
• “Nobody will be able to ignore the BJP in future in Punjab. The party is now a force in Punjab and tomorrow’s results will prove it,” says BJP spokesperson Vineet Joshi

Based on its ground reports, The Tribune in these columns had stated that the saffron party could spring a major surprise, and the exit polls’ prediction that “the party can bag 2-5 seats in Punjab and see a substantial increase in its vote share” has only given credence to the assertion.

On the eve of the counting day, the mood in the BJP is upbeat. As per an internal assessment, sources said, the BJP is hoping to win 4-5 seats with a sizeable vote share. The party analysts feel the BJP can come close second in two or three seats. “Nobody will be able to ignore the BJP in future in Punjab. The party is a force in Punjab and tomorrow’s results will prove it,” asserts BJP spokesperson Vineet Joshi.

The party had tested the waters in Punjab by contesting the 2022 Assembly elections without an alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal and later the Sangrur and Jalandhar byelections on its own. It continued to go solo in the Lok Sabha elections as well.

In the Assembly elections, the BJP contested 73 seats out of 117. It won two seats and had a vote share of 6.6 per cent in the state.

The Sangrur bypoll in June 2022 saw a vote share of 9.33 for candidate Kewal Dhillon even though the candidate was fourth. In the Jalandhar bypoll in May 2023, party candidate Rinku Atwal got 15.18% but still ended fourth.