Chandigarh, Sept. 16 -- In a massive outreach programme, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has deputed 25 Union ministers of state (MoS) to visit the flood-affected districts of Punjab between September 11 and 20. The initiative is being viewed as another effort by the party to expand its base in the rural heartland of Punjab, whichbore the brunt of the recent floods. Earlier, many BJP-led state governments, including in Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa and Uttar Pradesh, had extended financial or relief aid to Punjab as a gesture of solidarity with the flood victims. According to senior BJP leaders, the exercise has been launched on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hadwitnessed the scale ofdevastation during his recent visit to the state. During the visit, the PM had announced a financial assistance of Rs.1,600 crores to the state. "PM Modi has directed all of us to be on the ground and speed up the rehabilitation work. The only motive of these visits is to connect with flood-affected victims, listen to their grievances, and report to the Centre," said Union MoS for railways and food processing, Ravneet Bittu, who visited Fazilka on Sunday. As part of the campaign, Union MoS for sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, visited Patiala district on Monday, while Union MoS for Parliamentary affairs, Dr L Murugan, toured Rupnagar district on Sunday. Dr Murugan also interacted with farmers in Ropar and Anandpur Sahib constituencies and held a meeting with the Rupnagar deputy commissioner. Union MoS Nityanand Rai is scheduled to visit Pathankot on September 20. Others, including Yatin Pal and Krishanpal Gujjar, will also tour the state in the coming days. The visits are being coordinated by BJP office-bearers and party leaders who are seen as probables for the nextPunjab assembly elections in 2027. "It is a well-crafted strategy of the party to increase its outreach to the masses and stand firmly with the people in this hour of crisis. There is nothing wrong in a political party reaching out to people," said a senior BJP leader when asked if the party is using floods to expand its base. Another BJP leader admitted that the central leadership of the party is of the view that there is political vacuum in Punjab and it's the right time to convey it to Punjabis, especially farmers, that the saffron party is not averse to them. BJP is sensing a chance to spread its base keeping in mind the response to the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls where the party, while fighting alone, got more than 18% votes, the highest ever for it in the state....