With just 12 days remaining for polling in Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha constituencies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to kick off the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign blitz in the state with three election rallies.
Modi’s campaign will commence on May 23 in Patiala, where Preneet Kaur, a four-time MP and former Union minister, is the party’s candidate. This will be followed by rallies in Gurdaspur and Jalandhar on May 24.
The BJP, contesting all 13 seats in Punjab independently for the first time since 1996, aims to focus primarily on 6-7 constituencies where it anticipates strong performance. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Sinh, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, and BJP National President JP Nadda are also scheduled to address poll rallies in the state.
While Modi’s impact in Punjab during previous elections has been limited, party leaders are hopeful that his presence will boost their prospects this time. BJP state unit chief Sunil Jakhar expressed confidence that the BJP is gaining ground in Punjab, framing the 2024 elections as a precursor to a direct contest between the BJP and the AAP in 2027.
