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Punjab BJP wants to replace its ministers
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Performance pangs Sources say the BJP leadership was unhappy with the performance of some ministers The ministers will be replaced in the next few days, sources said Top leadership wants to induct Ashwani Sharma, BJP MLA from Pathankot, KD Bhandari from Jalandhar (North), Som Parkash from Phagwara, Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar (Central) into the Cabinet

Chandigarh, June 24
Not satisfied with the performance of some of its ministers in the state, the Punjab BJP wants to replace them.

Party sources said the ministers will be replaced in the next few days. All four BJP ministers in the state have submitted their resignations, said sources. BJP's Punjab unit chief Kamal Sharma, however, denied such reports.

Asked about reports of party planning to replace some ministers, Sharma said a decision would be taken after discussion with in charge of party affairs in Punjab Shanta Kumar and senior leader JP Nadda tomorrow. All senior BJP leaders, including party MLAs and members of the core committee would be in Chandigarh tomorrow for the crucial meeting. Besides other important issues, the report prepared by the Tandon Committee would also be discussed.

The BJP had set up a panel under Balramji Dass Tandon to go into the reasons for the poor performance of the BJP-SAD alliance in the Lok Sabha elections.

Party sources say the top leadership wants to induct Ashwani Sharma, BJP MLA from Pathankot, KD Bhandari from Jalandhar (North), Som Parkash from Phagwara, Manoranjan Kalia from Jalandhar (Central) into the Cabinet. Shanta Kumar and senior BJP leaders will also meet Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal tomorrow. The BJP wants to implement pro-people policies such as parity in stamp duty in urban and rural areas, time-bound VAT refund, power supply to industry on subsidized rates and checking the prices of sand and gravel, said sources.