BJP bets on Nayab Saini for ‘Mission Punjab’ 2027

After its victory in Delhi, the BJP has shifted its focus to Punjab, pitching Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini as its poster boy for the 2027 Assembly polls. Saini, who led the party to a hat-trick in Haryana and helped boost its performance in Delhi, is being positioned to expand the BJP’s appeal in the AAP-ruled state, where political competition remains fierce among AAP, Congress, SAD, and BSP.

An OBC face, Saini has proven instrumental in consolidating non-Jat votes for the BJP in Haryana. The party now hopes to replicate this strategy in Punjab, targeting the state’s 38% Hindu population, a majority of whom belong to the OBC community. This group played a key role in BJP’s strong showing in Haryana and remains a crucial demographic for its Punjab ambitions.

Though caste equations are less pronounced in Punjab than Haryana, the BJP believes Saini’s leadership and the “Haryana model" of governance can resonate with voters, especially amid growing disillusionment with the AAP government.

Saini’s recent outreach efforts in areas such as Zirakpur and Dera Bassi, which have significant OBC populations, underline this strategy. His efforts to attract local leaders, such as councillors from Zirakpur and a prominent SAD leader from Dera Bassi, into the BJP fold, signal the party’s aggressive groundwork.

In a move that generated buzz, iconic Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan met Saini on April 26. Maan’s open praise for Saini’s initiatives like the anti-drug campaign, ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao,’ and his general accessibility were music to the BJP’s ears. The meeting was widely amplified across party platforms. Maan’s endorsement, given his loyal fan following across Punjab, could provide a significant cultural boost to the BJP’s campaign.

Additionally, BJP leaders have been highlighting interactions between Punjab residents and Saini at various events, where people lauded Haryana’s “pro-people” governance.

“The BJP is a worker-centric party and all Central and state leaders are putting in their best efforts to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections,” senior BJP leader Varinder Garg said. “Saini’s recent visits to Punjab are part of BJP’s outreach programme. The BJP-ruled Haryana is far ahead of the AAP-ruled Punjab when it comes to development or farmers’ welfare, especially provision of MSP on 24 crops," he added.

Citing the deep social ties between the two states, Garg emphasised, “Punjabis and Haryanvis share ‘roti-beti ka rishta’ (close familial ties). The Haryana model is before the Punjabis and they should vote for performance rather than rhetoric in the next Assembly polls."

With anti-incumbency plaguing the AAP, and factionalism weakening both the Congress and the SAD, BJP strategists believe there is a real opportunity to expand the party’s influence in Punjab. Already wielding influence in urban pockets and bolstered by several high-profile former Congress leaders, the BJP is also open to forming ‘strategic alliances’ with like-minded parties to maximise its chances.

Haryana Tribune