Ludhiana: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) signalled an early start to its 2027 Punjab assembly election campaign on Sunday by holding a “Purvanchal Samman” rally in the industrial stronghold of Giaspura to court the city’s influential vote bank of workers from other states.In a departure from typical late-campaign posturing, the saffron party utilised the event as a show of strength. Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini headlined the rally, positioned strategically in an area densely populated by workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who now hold significant sway in Ludhiana’s South, North, East, and Central constituencies.The BJP’s focus on Giaspura follows a notable trend in recent elections. While the party struggled in the 2022 state elections after parting ways with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), it saw a resurgence during the 2024 parliamentary polls.Current MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, running on a BJP ticket, secured high vote shares in these urban pockets of other-state workers despite significant rural opposition. Party leadership appears to be doubling down on this demographic, not relying too much on the traditional voting blocs of Punjab.Saini Attacks AAP, CongChief minister Saini used the platform to contrast Haryana’s governance with the current state of Punjab. He levelled sharp criticisms against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, labeling both as “corrupt” entities that have failed the electorate.Key points from Saini’s address were about safety concerns, the “one chance” appeal, and AAP protests. Saini alleged that Punjab’s AAP govt had encouraged a “gangster culture” in the state, leaving citizens feeling unsafe. Emulating the rhetoric often used by his rivals, Saini urged voters to give the BJP a single term to “realise the difference” in governance. Acknowledging the black flags shown to his convoy by AAP workers in Ludhiana, Saini claimed the opposition is “afraid” of the BJP’s rising popularity.Appeal to Female VotersPunjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma focused his remarks on the AAP’s unfulfilled populist promises. He specifically highlighted the failure to provide the promised ₹1,000 monthly allowance to women in the state. “Females hold supreme power,” Sharma told the crowd, asserting that women would lead the charge in ousting the AAP from Punjab, drawing parallels to recent political shifts in Delhi. MSID:: 128677499 413 |
