BJP to Contest All 117 Punjab Assembly Seats Independently

The Bharatiya Janata Party announced on Monday that it will contest all 117 seats independently in the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. This decision explicitly rejects speculation of a reunion with the Shiromani Akali Dal, despite recent meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, as well as public appeals for an alliance from SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

To execute this independent strategy, BJP National General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh began a two-day visit to Punjab to strengthen grassroots coordination and review organizational functioning. Santosh is conducting a series of zonal meetings across Patiala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Amritsar.

The visit also serves to address internal party friction, as the BJP seeks to pacify senior state leaders dissatisfied with a recent organizational restructuring and reshuffle. Accompanied by National Joint General Secretary Saudan Singh, Santosh is focusing on preparing the party to form its own government in the state.