Chak De Change

There is a new churning in Punjab politics and the Bharatiya Janata Party is diving in with an eye on the 2027 assembly election

- Ashwani Sharma

IN March 2024, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officially announced its decision to contest the 2024 general election in Punjab on its own, the party’s decision was neither sudden nor unexpected. The decision to go solo was linked to a deeper dynamics, largely capitalising on the State’s changing political matrix, which is in the throes of a dynamic transition—both generational and cultural. After three decades as a junior partner of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), an ideologically divergent ally, the BJP contested all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab’s new four-cornered political landscape, but did not win any. However, even in its failure, there is a silver lining for the saffron party, which already governs at the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, now serving his third term. During the election campaign, Modi sought to connect with Punjab’s voters by criticising the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for drug trade and economic challenges, while also targeting the Congress.

At a rally in Hoshiarpur, he claimed, “The government’s authority doesn’t prevail here; instead, it’s the sand and drug mafia along with shooter gangs.” When he assumed office after the polls, Prime Minister Modi swiftly appointed Ravneet Singh Bittu, a former two-time Congress MP who lost the Ludhiana Lok Sabha election, to the Union cabinet.

In the 13 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress, despite being part of the INDIA bloc, won seven seats, one less than in 2019. The AAP secured three seats, while the Akalis won one in Bathinda. The SAD’s attempt to regain farmers’ trust amid ongoing protests backfired. Worse, their vote share fell from 27.45 percent in 2019 to 13.42 percent in 2024, with 10 out of 13 candidates losing their security deposits.