Development will be main poll plank : BJP Leaders

Chandigarh : The BJP has worked out a detailed strategy to strengthen its mass base and take on the Congress while remaining in coalition with the SAD. A meeting chaired by state BJP president Ashwani Sharma was held here today at which various party MLAs and ministers virtually negated the importance of Manpreet Badal in the changed political scenario and felt that development would be the main election plank in the 2012 elections. Held in a cordial atmosphere, the state BJP leadership felt that urban areas in the state would decide the formation of the next government. It was felt that the cities in Punjab had seen a lot of development during the last four years, which gave the BJP the edge over others. Though some MLAs reportedly told the party leadership not to take the Manpreet factor lightly, those in ministerial berths dismissed Manpreet’s “third front” as “insignificant”. Discussing various issues, Local Bodies Minister Manoranjan Kalia is reported to have told the party MLAs that the SAD-BJP coalition had already spent over Rs 500 crore in nagar council towns and municipal corporation cities on civic amenities and another Rs 1,100 core would be distributed by his department soon. This, he felt, would pay the party rich dividends in the next elections. “People are very happy with development work in the cities and they will keep this in mind while casting their vote”, he was quoted as having said. Ashwani Sharma and his party colleagues also discussed the issue of the SAD-BJP coalition. It was largely felt that the BJP had not got its due in power sharing, but they said that the coalition was strong. The BJP had fulfilled its coalition “dharma” despite being ignored at many places, it was said. But at the same time the leadership made it clear that the next elections, too, would be fought in coalition with the SAD. After the sitting MLAs of the party, including the ministers, made some pre-poll analysis, the BJP leaders said there was need to hold more training camps for party cadres to create awareness among the people about the works undertaken by the BJP in Punjab. The BJP has already held six such camps. “Just focus on the positive aspects and ignore factors like the presence of Manpreet Badal. It took the BJP 40 years to put Atal Behari Vajpayee in the Prime Minister’s chair. Don’t expect much from Manpreet”, a senior party leader told his colleagues. While some of the MLAs referred to the crowds Manpreet Badal was attracting, Ashwani Sharma supported Kalia in saying that “crowds don’t turn into votes”. All Punjab MLAs and MPs of the BJP will meet again at the BJP three-day national convention on February 8, 9 and 10 at Nagpur, where they will also take up Punjab-specific issues keeping in mind the next elections.