The battle to become the principal challenger to Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab's 2027 assembly elections is intensifying, with the BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal all jockeying for the opposition space, according to Priyanka Mukherjee’s Times of India report.
Congress remains the main opposition party in the state with 18 seats, ahead of the SAD and BJP. However, the party is dealing with internal friction after its central leadership retained Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Congress president while naming Charanjit Singh Channi as chief of the campaign committee, the report said. Several state leaders have backed Channi and pushed the high command to revisit its leadership decisions.
Also read: Punjab Congress chief reaffirms unity in party ranks amid rift over Congress' leadership decisions
Channi skipped a key Punjab Congress meeting called by Warring, as did Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa. Warring said both leaders had informed the party they were out of town and would return in a few days. Channi and a group of loyalists are learnt to be in Delhi to raise concerns over the recent reshuffle of the state unit, TOI reported.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, is on a five-day tour of the state to meet senior leaders and party workers as part of an organisational strengthening drive. He has maintained that Congress remains the only option for Punjab's voters. The central leadership's immediate task is to calm the Channi camp without alienating Warring, though no changes to the current arrangement have been announced yet.
BJP steps up outreach with Modi visit planned
The BJP, meanwhile, has stepped up its outreach in Punjab despite having the weakest organisational base among the four major parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin and Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini have all visited the state in recent months. Modi is expected to travel to Punjab again later this month to launch fresh development projects.
The party's strategy in Punjab rests on three pillars, the report noted: absorbing leaders from rival parties, attacking the AAP government over issues such as drugs, the sacrilege video row and corruption, and promoting central funding and infrastructure projects. Several Congress leaders joined the BJP around the 2022 elections, followed by a second wave of defections from AAP, including former Kejriwal aide Raghav Chadha and six other MPs.
Also read: Pressure won't work, firm on Punjab Congress decision: AICC
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said the Centre had ensured there was no shortage of funds for Punjab's development, with investments continuing in infrastructure, connectivity and public welfare. This will be Modi's second visit to Punjab this year, after a February trip to mark the 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas, during which he renamed Adampur Airport and inaugurated a new terminal at Halwara Airport in Ludhiana.
SAD fights to remain relevant
The SAD, which once dominated Punjab politics, has been reduced to a marginal presence after its split from the BJP. The party has continued to target the Bhagwant Mann government, but its traditional support base among rural and Sikh voters has been eroded by AAP's rise. A renewed alliance with the BJP appears unlikely, with Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri saying the party would not accept a junior partner role again. In 2022, the BJP won two seats while the SAD recorded its worst-ever performance, winning only three.
With Congress managing internal divisions, the BJP pushing an aggressive expansion strategy, and the SAD fighting to stay relevant, Punjab's 2027 contest is shaping up as a battle within the opposition even before the main fight against AAP begins, TOI reported.
