BJP's election in-charge to visit Punjab soon

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who was appointed election in-charge of Punjab earlier this month, will visit the state soon. Union ministers, Hardeep Singh Puri and Meenakshi Lekhi and Lok Sabha member Vinod Chavda have been made election co-incharges for Punjab.

BJP Punjab president Ashwani Sharma said that the soon election in-charge and co-inchages will be visiting Punjab in coming weeks to review the party's poll preparedness. "Dates for visit of central leaders have not been fixed but they are visiting soon to take stock of preparations. They will also guide Punjab unit with their experience," Sharma said.

In the run up to the assembly polls scheduled early next year, the BJP Punjab unit has launched several campaigns to strengthen its organisational structure at ground level. Sharma said that work is progressing at good pace for formation of a 21-member committee at each polling booth.

The BJP central leadership has directed all its state units specially five poll bound states to form a booth committee at each polling booth consisting women, youth, Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Caste (OBC) and other sections of society.

The BJP is facing toughest challenge in Punjab in comparison to other four states - Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand -- where polls will be held together in February-March next year.

The BJP is contesting assembly polls on its own in Punjab for the first time after its one of the oldest ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) walked away from alliance last year over new farm laws.

Many party leaders admitted that now the BJP is facing many challenges as party was only confined to some urban pockets.

Sharma claims that now the BJP made its presence felt across the state. "Everyone in the Punjab unit worked hard and expanded the party across the state in last one year and it will be seen in next year assembly polls," Sharma said.