Jakhar quits as Punjab BJP chief

Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar on Friday offered his resignation, taking responsibility for the BJP’s poor performance in the state.
The party has increased its vote share from six percent to 18 per cent in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
During a TV interview, Jakhar said he had requested the Party President J P Nadda and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to relieve him on moral grounds. “My resignation is with them; the decision rests in their hands,” he said.
Capping off an eventful tour of the poll-bound border state, Jakhar, who had resigned as Congress Punjab President in 2019 after his electoral loss from Gurdaspur, reflected on governance issues in Punjab.
He claimed that the government and opposition are aligned and pointed to CM Bhagwant Mann’s recent tweets and the reticence of other leaders against him. He spoke about the delayed Miller Policy of the government which he said was blocking clarity on grain allocation, impacting farmers, and needed better communication and support.
Lauding the aspirations of Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu to be Punjab’s Chief Minister if BJP wins in 2027, Jakhar quipped, “If Neetu from Shutran can be CM, why not Bittu?” He said hard work needed to be done in next two years to fulfil public expectations.
Bittu refuted speculation that he had a rift with Jakhar. The latter clarified that he had invited him as chief guest for a marathon organized by his nephew MLA Sandeep Jakhar. “Instead of auditing the account of the farmers, Bittu must worry about how to answer these serious corruption cases.”
Concluding, Jakhar spoke about his commitment towards a strong Akali Dal whose stability would benefit the state, pointing out an alliance had been on the cards with BJP but remains unsettled.