Hoshiarpur/Garhshankar, Dec 2

Reiterating the BJP decision to contest all 117 Assembly seats in the upcoming Assembly elections, state president Ashwani Sharma today said instead of fielding big faces, the party will give ticket to candidates with mass base while respecting workers’ sentiment.

Here to hold discussions with office-bearers to strengthen the organisation, Sharma said instead of releasing a manifesto, the party would bring out ‘Sankalp Patra’ or ‘Pratigya Patra’. Asked about alliance with other parties, he said: “We will contest all 117 seats on our own. We are bringing people from other parties to strengthen the BJP.”

Asked about Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal raising the issue of development of schools, he said the AAP leader should first answer how many posts of principal and vice-principal in Delhi schools had been filled. “If he doesn’t have an answer, we will release the list,” said Sharma.

Asked about former SAD leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa joining the BJP, he said he had been doing good work and had appreciated the party for getting those behind the Delhi riots punished, abolishing the ‘black list’ and opening the Kartarpur corridor.

The AAP was offering lucrative guarantees on the lines of the Congress, but the BJP won’t make false promises, he added. — OC