Ludhiana, June 22 (IANS) Drawing parallels with West Bengal, where changing demographics due to illegal Bangladeshi infiltration became a matter of national concern, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin on Monday said Punjab’s deteriorating law and order situation, rising gangsters, drug menace and migration of youth have similarly become issues of serious concern for both the state and the nation.

He said that just as BJP workers in West Bengal worked tirelessly to strengthen the party and pave the way for political transformation, BJP workers in Punjab must also dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to establishing a “double-engine” government to free the state from these challenges.

Nabin made these remarks while addressing a meeting of state office-bearers, current and former Members of Parliament, MLAs and district presidents in Ludhiana. He expressed satisfaction that the Punjab BJP is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats with full strength in the upcoming elections.

Referring to West Bengal, Nabin said the “government plus goonda culture” had become a major problem for the people there. In a similar manner, Punjab is now witnessing the rise of a “government plus corporate” culture, which has become a serious concern for ordinary citizens, where people are allegedly forced to pay money to get their legitimate work done.

He said the BJP must take this corrupt nexus head-on through sustained public struggle and establish a “double-engine” government, without which the political and industrial revival of Punjab would remain difficult.

The BJP chief emphasised that expanding the party organisation is not solely the responsibility of the state president or the organisation’s general secretary, but a collective responsibility of all party leaders.

He noted that while the BJP has consistently raised public issues, there is now a greater need for stronger grassroots engagement and for exposing the failures of the state government by taking up issues affecting both urban and rural communities.

Nabin, who concluded his three-day visit to Punjab, his first since becoming the party chief, stressed that the BJP’s true strength lies not at the top but at the grassroots, in its booth presidents and dedicated workers.

He urged party leaders to strengthen coordination with booth-level workers, as they play a decisive role in mobilising voters at polling stations.

He also advised the party to soon launch a major statewide campaign against the drug network that has spread across Punjab. All leaders present at the meeting expressed full confidence in the national leadership about the BJP’s prospects and assured their commitment to securing victory in Punjab.

–IANS

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