Chandigarh: In a major political churn ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday strengthened its ranks with the induction of several prominent leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, underlining the party’s renewed focus on expanding its base in the state.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini presided over the joining ceremony at the BJP’s Chandigarh office, where former Congress MP Jagmeet Brar formally entered the party. He was joined by Ankur Sidhu, former Officer on Special Duty to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and senior Akali leader Charanjit Singh Brar. Former Kotkapura MLA Ripjeet Singh Brar, brother of Jagmeet Brar, also joined the BJP. Jagmeet Brar had previously contested the 2022 Assembly elections from Moga Mandi on an Akali Dal ticket.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said the developments reflected a growing inclination among political leaders and the public towards the BJP. He said the party was emerging as a strong alternative in Punjab at a time when people were increasingly worried about law and order, governance and economic prospects.
Former Union minister Preneet Kaur said Punjab was witnessing a clear political realignment well before the next Assembly elections. She expressed confidence that the BJP was steadily positioning itself to play a decisive role in the state’s future political landscape.
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu reiterated that the BJP would contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab. He said issues such as drug abuse, gangsterism and lack of employment had pushed people to look for a credible alternative, adding that development would accelerate once the BJP formed the government.
BJP leaders said the party was placing special emphasis on the Malwa region, which accounts for 69 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies. The induction of leaders from the Brar family, all hailing from Malwa, was seen as part of a broader strategy to consolidate the party’s presence in the region considered critical for forming a government.
Addressing the gathering, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the BJP’s growing presence in Punjab was a positive sign. He claimed that fear and insecurity had spread among the people under the present dispensation and said the BJP alone had the capacity to provide stable and corruption-free governance, as demonstrated at the national level.
