Chandigarh, Sept. 10 -- The BJP's decision to launch four statewide yatras against drugs from September 18 is not merely an awareness campaign but a calculated political move to make the drug menace the central issue for the Punjab assembly polls scheduled early next year.

Behind the yatras is the BJP high command's assessment, backed by at least five internal surveys, that drugs remain the most emotive and important issue on the ground in Punjab despite the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's high-decibel campaign against the menace.

"We believe there is a pressing need for a widespread public movement against the drug menace, and the BJP will spearhead such a movement in the coming days in Punjab," BJP national chief Nitin Nabin said i...