New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS): To become a political force to be reckoned with in Punjab, the BJP is eyeing 35 urban assembly constituencies in the upcoming polls. The saffron party is putting extra effort to win these urban assembly constituencies. Election for 117-member Punjab assembly will be held in February-March next year.
As part of its ongoing strategy, the BJP is already concentrating on about three dozen urban seats of Punjab spread across the state. A party insider explained that urban constituencies now spread across the state and voters there have different aspirations in other parts of Punjab.
"Urban voters of Punjab want peace along with prosperity and they will support the party which promises both. Earlier they also supported BJP, now we are working on winning back their support in next state polls," party insider said.
The saffron camp also believes that the BJP will not face the same opposition like it is facing in rural areas of Punjab due to ongoing farmers agitation. Farmers have been protesting since last one year against the three new farm laws passed by the BJP government at the Centre.
"Farmers protest has lesser impact in urban areas and urban voters vote on several other issues apart from developments and they also realised the importance of peace for progress of state," a party leader said.
It is learnt that the local unit has been asked to draw plans for all the urban seats where the BJP has better chances.
The BJP is contesting assembly polls on its own in Punjab for the first time after its one of the oldest ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) walked away from alliance last year over new farm laws. In the last Punjab assembly polls in 2017, the BJP won only three out of 23 it contested.
Another party functionary said that these 35 assembly constituencies also include 23 seats which the BJP used to contest while in alliance with the SAD for over two decades.
BJP national general secretary and Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam, however, told IANS that the party will contest all the 117 seats. "We are going to contest and win all 117 assembly seats and the BJP has expanded across the state in both urban and rural areas," Gautam said.