Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): In a major political development ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, Major (Retd.) Bhupinder Singh Dhillon—cousin and long-time political aide of the late Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal—joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday alongside his son, Amarvir Singh Bawa. The formal induction took place at Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s official residence in Chandigarh in the presence of Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, dealing a symbolic blow to the Badal family’s traditional political stronghold.
Bhupinder Singh, 78, is the son of former Rajya Sabha member Gurraj Singh Badal and previously served as political secretary with Minister of State rank during the SAD-BJP coalition government. His son, Amarvir Singh, is the municipal council president of Sanaur. Following the induction, Bhupinder stated that he was motivated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development vision and signalled an active return to electoral politics, even indicating a plan to officially re-adopt the surname “Badal” while maintaining that he holds no personal grievances against SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Welcoming the new entrants, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini described the move as a major boost for the party’s outreach in Punjab, asserting that the BJP will contest to form the next state government by prioritizing industrial growth, youth employment, sports infrastructure, and a zero-tolerance crackdown on drugs. The induction marks a strategic effort by the BJP to tap directly into the traditional Akali vote base and grassroots networks in the Malwa belt, particularly in the Lambi region, as the party prepares to contest the upcoming assembly polls with an expanded footprint.
