Chandigarh: Following the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) impressive victory in West Bengal, functionaries in Punjab assert that the central leadership, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the chief architect, is now set to pivot its full focus on Punjab. The state is scheduled to go to the polls early next year.
BJP's Slogan and Strategy
'Bengal ki jeet hamari hai, ab Punjab ki baari hai' (Bengal has been won, now it is Punjab's turn) was the slogan resonating at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi as the party celebrated its West Bengal success. At the party's Punjab headquarters in Chandigarh, celebrations erupted. State BJP president Sunil Jakhar stated that the Bengal victory was 'a message' that had 'ignited hope among the people of Punjab.' He suggested that if the BJP could end the 'ongoing state-sponsored oppression in Bengal' and 'hooliganism in Uttar Pradesh,' the party should be given a chance in Punjab as well.
Drawing parallels between Bengal and Punjab, Jakhar noted that both states face socio-economic and law-and-order challenges. He asserted that the BJP is the 'panacea' for these issues. 'Why should Punjab be left behind from the development works being carried out in other states?' Jakhar questioned. He affirmed that Punjab BJP workers were 'tiar bar tiar' (ready), buoyed by recent visits from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. He concluded with a message for party workers: 'Gird up your loins.'
Pointing out that the party grew from three seats to a two-thirds majority in a Trinamool Congress (TMC) stronghold like Bengal, Jakhar argued it would be comparatively easier to script a success story in a smaller state like Punjab, where the BJP currently holds two seats in the 117-member Vidhan Sabha.
Voices from the Party
In Delhi, senior BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa remarked, 'West Bengal and Punjab are two states that suffered immense losses in 1947. The sensible people of Bengal have given the BJP a chance, and I hope the people of Punjab adopt similar thinking.'
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh told the media, 'The lotus will bloom in Punjab. The BJP will form its own government and make it a Rangla Punjab again by ridding it of corruption, gangsters, and drugs.'
Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma posted on social media that after Bengal elected the BJP for 'service,' it was now Punjab's turn.
BJP's Solo Strategy and Recent Gains
The BJP, once a longtime ally of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) before parting ways over the now-repealed farm laws, has announced it will contest the 2027 elections independently. The party has been aggressively expanding its footprint. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has been a frequent visitor to the state to bolster the campaign.
On April 25, six Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab, including chief strategist Sandeep Pathak and Raghav Chadha, joined the BJP. This came after senior advocate H S Phoolka, a former AAP MLA from Dakha known for fighting legal battles for justice for 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims, joined the BJP in early April.
The BJP's leadership is optimistic that the momentum from Bengal will translate into electoral success in Punjab, a state grappling with issues of corruption, gang violence, and drug abuse. Party workers are energized and ready to campaign vigorously in the run-up to the assembly elections.
