Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Punjab today to lead the election campaign of the ruling SAD-BJP coalition. He will address a rally at PAP Ground in Jalandhar.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied with Union Ministers Arun Jaitley, Ramlal, Avinash Rai Khanna and Narendra Tomar. Punjab Chief Minister Parkhash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal will share the dais with the Prime Minister.
Punjab BJP Affairs in-charge Prabhat Jha along with party leaders visited the rally site yesterday and reviewed the security arrangement. He informed that tight security arrangements are in place for the rally.
Giving out details, BJP state secretary Vineej Joshi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be reaching Jalandhar on January 27 where he will address a huge rally in support of the Akali-BJP candidates. Similarly, on January 29, the Prime Minister will be visiting Ludhiana and address a poll rally there.”
A party leader said that PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah will campaign extensively in the poll-bound state and highlight the achievements of the centre and the state government as well.
The BJP had recently released its manifesto that focuses on implantation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), physical infrastructure, poverty elimination, education and health care. The document also includes free education till PhD for girls belonging to economically weaker sections and job for every family.
The major players in the fray are the Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP, Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. The state is currently being ruled by Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition. While the SAD has 54 MLAs, the BJP has 11 legislators.
The Congress has no representative as its all 42 MLAs have had resigned on November 11 last year over Supreme Court holding as unconstitutional the 2004 law to terminate the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal water sharing agreement with neighbouring states.
According to pre-poll surveys, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has an edge over BJP and the ruling coalition. The opinion polls too, have revealed that AAP is enjoying an unprecedented novelty value in the state.
Punjab will to go to polls in a single phase on February 4. Results will be declared on March 11.
