Punjab BJP performed better in Lok Sabha elections, but better not enough: Jakhar

State unit chief expresses concern over the BJP losing its traditional Lok Sabha seats of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur

With the BJP reviewing its performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls in Punjab, state unit chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday said his party performed better in the general elections but asserted that “better is not enough”.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar reviewed the party’s performance in the June 1 Lok Sabha elections at a meeting with office-bearers and party candidates in Chandigarh on Saturday. (HT file photo)

He expressed concern over the BJP losing its traditional Lok Sabha seats of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur, saying the results in these constituencies were not according to expectations.

The Punjab unit of the BJP on Saturday held meetings of party candidates, office-bearers and other party leaders here to review its performance in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP could not win any of 13 Lok Sabha seats during the 2024 general elections in Punjab.

However, the party’s vote share doubled to 18.56%, as compared to 9.63% in 2019.

Addressing the media, Jakhar said the party performed much better in the Lok Sabha polls. “We have done better but better is not enough. We have to succeed,” said Jakhar, who was flanked by Union minister of state for railways and food processing industries Ravneet Singh Bittu.

“The target was to make the BJP successful in Punjab,” he said.

However, he expressed gratitude to party office-bearers and workers for their efforts in the elections. “Though we did not get success, the people gave immense response to the BJP,” he said.

Speaking about the BJP’s drubbing in its traditional seats of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Hoshiarpur, Jakhar said the party will find out where the shortcomings were.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress dealt a blow to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal, winning seven of the 13 Lok Sabha seats in the high-stakes polls in Punjab even as two Independents registered a surprise victory.

While the AAP clinched three seats, the Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD could win only one seat and the BJP drew a blank in the border state.