BJP MP Raghav Chadha’s shock assembly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday set tongues wagging, with the previous AAP chief describing the interplay as “a morning to cherish”. The assembly has generated appreciable curiosity, coming months forward of the Punjab meeting elections. On Friday, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal additionally met the Prime Minister.
Whereas Chadha, who rebelled towards the AAP and joined the BJP with six other MPs earlier this yr, didn’t reveal what was mentioned, he stated it was an “enriching interplay”. A report in The Tribune stated the prevailing scenario in Punjab was among the many points mentioned.
“Had the privilege of assembly Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An in depth and enriching interplay. Deeply grateful for his beneficiant time and for the chance to learn from his insights and steering,” Chadha stated.
WHY RAGHAV CHADHA MET PM MODI?
The assembly comes at a time when the BJP has ramped up political exercise in Punjab forward of the Meeting elections. Chadha, who represents Punjab in the Rajya Sabha and has ancestral roots in Jalandhar, is predicted to play a distinguished and lively function for the BJP within the state.
Chadha, who has been with the AAP since its inception, triggered a serious political shake-up in April when he and 6 different MPs merged with the BJP. Of the seven, six have been from Punjab.
As soon as seen because the “de facto Chief Minister” of Punjab, Chadha’s exit got here as a physique blow to the AAP in the one state it presently holds energy.
Whereas Chadha didn’t contest the 2022 Punjab polls, he labored behind the scenes as a strategist and helped the AAP script a historic victory within the state amid challenges from behemoths like SAD, BJP and the Congress.
Now with the BJP, Chadha is more likely to get an lively function within the poll-bound state.
Not solely does he have a grasp of Punjab’s electoral dynamics, his city enchantment might additionally assist the BJP strengthen its presence in cities akin to Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar. The BJP has struggled to develop its help amongst enterprise communities and middle-class voters in Punjab, particularly after severing ties with SAD.
Considerably, Chadha’s assembly with Modi comes a day after Sukhbir Singh Badal met the Prime Minister on Friday. It has led to hypothesis that the BJP is perhaps open to resume ties with its estranged ally.
The Akali Dal, whose fortunes have been on a decline since AAP’s rise, is outwardly eager on becoming a member of palms with BJP. The SAD has shrunk to 3 MLAs and an MP.
With the political area in Punjab getting more and more fragmented, can Chadha script a turnaround for the BJP if he will get a job? Solely time will inform.
– Ends
