BJP Concerned About Its ‘Congressization’ in Panjab

With an eye on the 2027 state elections, the BJP is focusing on Mission Punjab, emphasizing urban support and outreach efforts like the Har Ghar Dastak (Knock Every Door). Though the party top leadership knows a significant number of its candidates in general elections were turncoats from INC, they are also concerned about Congressization of the party. In the recent general elections, six of the BJP’s candidates were ex-INC members, two switched from SAD, and one was a former diplomat. Nine out of 13 BJP candidates, even ex-MP twice from INC, Ravneet Singh Bittu, performed poorly, losing even in their home assembly segments. Five other BJP candidates lost their security deposit. BJP’s vote share did go up from 9.63% in 2019 in the last general election to 18.56% in 2024. In the 2019 election, BJP was in partnership with SAD and contested only three seats. In 2024, BJP fought all thirteen seats. Some increase in vote percentage is on expected lines especially when SAD came down from 27.45% to 13.42%. On Congressization, though, BJP has old roots in the state because its precursor the Jana Sangh was dominant in urban constituencies with predominantly Hindu voters. Jana Sangh splintered in 1977 and in the last close to half century, SAD and INC have dominated Panjab. The BJP has no option but to poach from these parties. Even nationally, in the last elections, BJP fielded 110 turncoats and 68 of them lost the elections. The real question is, given the abysmal governance in Panjab under every political party, does BJP have a pro-people program for the state?