BJP Eyes Rural Punjab
Anti-drug campaign and farmer outreach planned as BJP seeks direct village connect ahead of 2027 polls
- BJP plans to expand its direct outreach in Punjab’s villages.
- Anti-drug campaigns will be a key plank of the party’s rural strategy.
- The move could bring the BJP into direct competition with Amritpal Singh.
- Shiromani Akali Dal faces the risk of losing parts of its traditional rural base.
GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 27th Aug: The BJP is preparing to expand its political footprint across rural Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, potentially bringing it into a direct contest with jailed Khadoor Sahib MP and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh.
Sources said the BJP has conveyed to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that it wants to develop its own rural outreach rather than remain dependent on the Akalis for access to villages.
As part of the strategy, the BJP plans to make the issue of drugs a key campaign plank and organise anti-drug yatras across all 117 Assembly constituencies. The party is also expected to highlight Central government schemes and initiatives for farmers.
The move could put the BJP in competition with Amritpal Singh, whose political messaging has included anti-drug issues as well as Punjab-centric and Panthic concerns. Amritpal has been lodged in Dibrugarh jail since 2023 under the National Security Act and won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent candidate while in jail.
The BJP’s challenge will be to translate its organisational expansion into support in rural areas, where it has historically had a limited presence and faced resistance following the farmers’ agitation.
For Amritpal Singh, the challenge will be to convert his personal appeal and Panthic resonance into a broader electoral organisation.
The emerging political contest could also put the SAD under pressure, particularly if the BJP attracts sections of its traditional rural support while Amritpal Singh influences the Panthic vote.
The battle for rural Punjab is therefore emerging as a significant factor ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the BJP seeking to establish itself directly in a political space traditionally dominated by the Akalis and increasingly contested by Amritpal Singh.
