Sulking till a few weeks ago, Jakhar now BJP’s poster boy

Sunil Jakhar, who was sulking over difference of opinion with the RSS leaders and the BJP’s policies on farmers till a few weeks ago, has been made the poster boy for the four byelections scheduled on November 13.

This is evident from the party’s first campaign video released on Wednesday. Only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jakhar are seen in the video with party workers and supporters.

The campaign’s tagline “Baaki gallan chhado, Punjab di gal zaroori hai” seems to be a result of Jakhar’s insistence to understand the issues concerning Punjabis, especially farming community. However, it remains to be seen how effective the campaign would be as the farmers are up in arms against non-lifting of paddy from grain markets.

He had stepped aside from the post of party president after the Lok Sabha elections and did not participate in several party meetings.

On October 17, the party kept Jakhar in the forefront when PM Modi visited Chandigarh and Panchkula for the swearing-in ceremony of the new Haryana Government.

The selection of candidates for the byelections also has Jakhar’s stamp. The BJP went with the previous formula of fielding non-traditional BJP candidates by naming former Congress leaders Manpreet Singh Badal from Gidderbaha, Kewal Dhillon from Barnala and former Akali Ravi Karan Kahlon from Dera Baba Nanak.

The party has made him top star campaigner for the bypolls among the list of 40 leaders submitted to the Election Commission.

Today, Jakhar put up a tweet before the video, thanking PM Modi for extending the Kartarpur Corridor agreement with Pakistan for another five years.

He said, “The extension of five-year agreement by the Government of India with Pakistan regarding darshan of holy shrine through the Kartarpur Corridor is a relief for the Sikh community. Thank you very much for this initiative Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”