BJP to contest all 117 Punjab assembly seats alone, Satish Poonia says ‘no alliance’

Satish PooniaJAISALMER: The BJP will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab on its own in the upcoming elections, party national general secretary and Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia said on Sunday.Speaking to reporters in Barmer, Poonia said the BJP would not be part of any alliance and would enter the electoral battle independently.During his one-day visit to Barmer, Poonia targeted the Aam Aadmi Party government over Punjab’s law and order situation and the drug menace. He said the party had traditionally contested Punjab elections in alliance, which limited the expansion of its organisation and its participation in government.Earlier, the BJP used to contest around 23 seats and win 12-13 of them.In 2022, it contested all 117 seats. Referring to cases of addiction, he said some families had lost multiple members to drugs.Poonia said Arvind Kejriwal had promised to eradicate drugs in Punjab within 90 days, but the problem continued even after nearly four-and-a-half years. Poonia said Shah had set a target of making the country drug-free by 2031.Poonia said he was confident in Shah’s resolve, citing the significant decline in Naxalism in the country as an example of the government fulfilling ambitious targets. He said Shah worked to fulfil the commitments he made.Poonia arrived in Barmer on a one-day visit.

Source: Times of India September 14, 2026 17:11 UTC