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Journalism of Courage
The Punjab BJP is veering around to the idea of having a Jat Sikh as president. And guess who has the most problems? Ally Akali Dal, which fears the BJP may take away its rural vote bank with the move.
The three-year term of BJP state chief Brij Lal Rinwa is set to expire and the party had fixed September 29 as the date of election of its next president. National vice-president of the BJP Kisan Morcha Harjit Singh Grewal is being touted as Rinwa8217;s possible successor.
Others in the BJP say party politics is also playing a role. The BJP old guard is said to be opposed to Grewal in much the same way as it had earlier objected to the appointment of Rinwa.
Prior to Rinwa, a Khatri Sikh, Daya Singh Sodhi from Amritsar, had been the party president. Sodhi8217;s candidature was not opposed by the Akali Dal since Khatris do not account for many votes in the state and the Akali leadership in not known to cater to Khatris.
However, the attempt to project a Sikh image is now part of the state BJP strategy. The party was specifically asked to send a delegation of 50 Keshdhari Sikhs for a meeting with the Prime Minister earlier this month and at the national level, the target for the BJP Kisan Morcha rally at New Delhi next month for Punjab is 1,000 Keshdhari Sikhs.
