BJP to form next government in Punjab, claims Tarun Chugh

CHANDIGARH: Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Monday hit back at Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for calling his party a 'non-entity' in Punjab and said they will form the next government in the state.

Amarinder on Saturday had dismissed the BJP as a 'non-entity' and had said that it would not be able to win a single seat without an alliance partner in the 2022 assembly polls.

Slamming Amarinder Singh, Chugh said a 'childish' statement coming from a senior Congress leader clearly demonstrates how he is 'cut off' from the ground realities.

In a statement, Chugh said the BJP will form the next government in Punjab.

"Even in 1992 when the party contested the Vidhan Sabha elections all by itself, it had captured six seats with 16 percent vote share. The party has come a long way from there and has strengthened its presence in the state," he claimed.

Two months ago, the Shiromani Akali Dal, an old ally of the BJP, had quit the NDA over the Centre's farm laws.

As per the seat-sharing formula which existed when the BJP and the SAD were allies, the saffron party used to field its candidates on three of the 13 parliamentary seats and 23 of 117 assembly seats in Punjab.

The rest were kept for the SAD.

The BJP national general secretary also flayed the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab for "not fulfilling" any of its promises be it drugs or unemployment.

Chugh accused the ruling Congress of having failed to take any action in cases involving the desecration of religious texts.