Lok Sabha elections 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday announced names of three candidates in Punjab for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The saffron party fielded Subhash Sharma from Anandpur Sahib constituency, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi from Firozpur and Arvind Khanna from Sangrur.
The BJP has already named its candidates for most of the seats. For the first time in many decades, the BJP is fighting on its own in the state following the break in its ties with the Shiromani Akali Dal, one of its oldest allies.
The party has won over a lot of influential leaders, including incumbent MPs from different parties, to its fold in its bid to strengthen its base in the state. It has also been assiduously wooing Sikhs, who are a majority in Punjab.
BJP candidates Hans Raj Hans, Dinesh Babbu again face farmers' ire
Meanwhile, BJP candidates continued to face farmers' ire in Punjab with party nominees Hans Raj Hans and Dinesh Babbu Tuesday witnessing protests during campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls. Hans is the BJP candidate from the Faridkot constituency while Babbu is in the fray from Gurdaspur seat.
The BJP candidates and leaders have been facing protests from farmers when they are campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls. As part of protests, farmers ask questions to BJP leaders and show them black flags for not agreeing to their demands. A group of farmers on Tuesday posed questions to Hans in Gidderbaha where he was canvassing.
Farmers sought the BJP candidate's reply on erecting barricades by the Haryana government at the border points and firing of tear gas shells at farmers who wanted to head towards Delhi in February in support of their demands. In Gurdaspur, farmers asked Babbu why "force" was used against protesters who were moving towards the national capital as part of 'Delhi Chalo' protest. Babbu replied that the BJP always stands by farmers and urged them to vote for the party.
Amid party candidates facing protests from farmers, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Monday had sought intervention of the Chief Electoral Officer, claiming that the party nominees were "being forced to withdraw from campaigns". He had expressed apprehension on the "possible collusion" of the ruling AAP and other parties in causing obstructions and encumbrances in the campaign of BJP candidates.
The Punjab CEO sought an action taken report from the state director general of police (DGP) after the BJP delegation raised concern over the law and order situation, claiming that the party candidates were being prevented from campaigning in the state.
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