BJP to strengthen its base in Punjab for 2017 Assembly polls

A top BJP leader today said that the party, which is a major ally of ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab, will strengthen its base in the state keeping in view the next Assembly polls slated for 2017.
"The BJP will launch a mass contact programme in all the 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab tomorrow," BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said here.
Seeking to downplay differences between the ruling SAD- BJP alliance partners, he said, "We (BJP) are strengthening the party organisation in Punjab not to fight the next Assembly polls separately from Akalis."
He said any decision on fighting the 2017 Assembly polls will be taken at an appropriate time by the state and the central BJP leadership.

He claimed at least 23 lakh new members have been enrolled by the party in the state.
Speaking over the issue of drug menace in Punjab, he said BJP is opposed to sale of drugs in the state and "this must be stopped at any cost."

On the issue of shifting of convicted terrorists from Delhi and Karnataka to Amritsar recently, Vijayvargiya refrained to give a straight reply, saying the matter is "administrative" in nature.
State BJP chief Kamal Sharma expressed annoyance over SAD "not consulting" its ally BJP on shifting of convicts.
"BJP was not taken into confidence before shifting convicted terrorists to Amritsar jail from outside the states. We will raise the issue in the coordination committee meeting of SAD and BJP," he said.

He clarified he had not spoken to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal over the issue.