Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil on Tuesday hosted top Punjab leaders at his residence in the national capital to discuss the upcoming Assembly election strategy for the border state.This is the first meeting of Punjab leaders which Patil held although he has been involved with state poll strategy since August, as first reported by The Tribune.A formal announcement of Patil’s role in Punjab will come any time soon, in tune with the BJP strategy of placing a senior minister in charge of every major election-bound state.In 2025, Patil was co-in-charge minister for Bihar elections along with then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who was in charge. The BJP-led NDA won the state handsomely.Today’s meeting was attended by the same group of leaders who joined the virtual meeting BJP national president Nitin Nabin chaired on Monday.These leaders included BJP Punjab in-charge Satish Poonia, co-in-charge Alka Gurjar and Virendra Sachdeva; BJP state president Kewal Dhillon; former BJP Punjab chiefs Jattvibeil Jakhar and Ashwani Sharma; BJP national vice president and former Finance Minister of Punjab Manpreet Singh Badal and BJP national secretary tasked with Punjab survey and candidate selection strategy Sandeep Pathak.BJP general secretary organisation Punjab Manthri Srinivasulu was also present, sources said. They said the meeting discussed the poll and ground survey strategy and took stock of the prevailing ground situation in Punjab. where the BJP plans to make drug addiction and law and order major poll planks.The above group of leaders, it is learnt, may constitute the key strategy group for Punjab elections going forward.The party is presently concentrating on expanding its organisational depth across the state, with its leaders publicly maintaining that they are gearing up for all 117 seats.Sources said the plan is to boost the party’s presence in the state in the event of potential alliance talks with estranged partner Shiromani Akali Dal and SAD breakaway Akali Dal Punar Surjit.Today’s meeting, however, did not discuss alliance issues, said sources.Meanwhile, Patil is expected to visit Punjab soon and a programme will be drawn up.