Now Reading: BJP to run anti-drug yatras across Punjab ahead of 2027 polls
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BJP to run anti-drug yatras across Punjab ahead of 2027 polls
The BJP has set its sights on Punjab's drug crisis as a central campaign plank for the 2027 Assembly elections. At a meeting of party leaders and workers in Ludhiana, national general…
The BJP has set its sights on Punjab's drug crisis as a central campaign plank for the 2027 Assembly elections. At a meeting of party leaders and workers in Ludhiana, national general secretary BL Santosh directed that the party should organise anti-drug yatras in all 117 Assembly constituencies during September.
The move comes as the BJP seeks to rebuild its presence in the state after its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal collapsed in 2017 and its electoral performance hit a low in 2022. The drug issue has long been a major concern in Punjab, which shares a porous border with Pakistan.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The BJP's shift to an anti-drug plank in Punjab attempts to reclaim ground lost since the 2017 alliance breakdown with the Shiromani Akali Dal. Drugs have long been a charged issue in the state, with the 2018 budget pegging seizure of narcotics worth over Rs 700 crore. The party's 2022 Assembly tally fell to just two seats from 23 in 2017, a collapse driven partly by the farm laws agitation. Targeting 117 constituencies with yatras signals a booth-level rebuild rather than a top-down campaign. Success depends on whether voters see the BJP as a credible anti-drug messenger, given its recent electoral irrelevance in the state.
Source: ndtv.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
