Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah meet Punjab BJP, discuss alliance with Akalis

Party sources said that although state leaders had expected the meeting to focus on the issue of electing state president and change of ministers in the Punjab cabinet, it turned out to be more on the alliance.

Speaking to The Sunday Express, Kamal Sharma, president of the Punjab unit of BJP confirmed that Amit Shah ascertained the views of the state leaders on the state of the alliance. “The alliance has been in existence since 1997 and there is only one year left to go for elections, therefore it is natural that a call will be taken on the future (of the alliance),” said Sharma.

A senior BJP leader who was present at the meeting said it was quite clear that the national leadership is exploring all options ahead of the assembly poll. “As far as I know, this is the first time since the alliance came into being that the views on its future have been sought from each one of us in this manner. As far as I am concerned, this may not augur well for the alliance,” he said.

Many leaders are learnt to have opined that the party should go alone in the upcoming elections and, if need be, form an alliance post elections in order to escape the severe anti-incumbancy being faced by SAD.

BJP National secretary Tarun Chugh, who was also part of the deliberations, said that the central leadership discussed on several important issues concerning political environment in Punjab. “Views about the alliance were asked and this shows the importance that the party leadership is giving towards making the right call in 2017 elections,” he said.

BJP leaders debunked the theory that former cricketer and estranged former BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Sidhu could be given an important post in the 2017 elections. “The issue did not even come up for discussion at the meeting and seems to be figment of someone’s imagination,” a senior leader said.

It is learned that the state BJP asked Shah to take a call on the next chief of the Punjab party unit.

Law and order in the state, the extent of the drugs problem and the response of the state government as well as the measures taken to meet the threat of terrorist attacks were also discussed in the meeting. The state BJP ministers gave details about the problems faced by them and the manner in which they are often ignored by SAD leadership while taking crucial decisions.

Among those present in the meeting were Kamal Sharma, state BJP president, Tarun Chugh, national secretary, Avinash Rai Khanna, Rajya Sabha MP, Vijay Sampla, Union Minister of State for social justice and empowerment, Ashwini Sharma, MLA and past state president, Brij Lal Rinwa and Rajindrr Bhandari, both senior leader, Anil Joshi, Madan Mohan Mittal, Chunni Lal Bhagat, Surjit Kumar Jiyani (all ministers). MP from Gurdaspur Vinod Khanna could not attend due to ill health.