CHANDIGARH: Ruling out any alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), Waris Punjab De or other Panthic groups, BJP national general secretary and Punjab organisational in-charge Dr Satish Poonia on Tuesday said the party would contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab on its own in the 2027 elections.
Addressing his first press conference after taking charge, Poonia said strengthening the BJP organisation at the grassroots level would be his primary responsibility. He was accompanied by state president Kewal Singh Dhillon, Punjab co-in-charge and MLA Dr Narinder Singh Raina.
Responding to questions about a possible alliance, Poonia said he was conveying the message of the BJP central leadership that the party would contest all 117 seats on its own strength.
“I am the ambassador of the central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and it’s clear message is that we will contest all 117 seats on our own strength. A meeting does not mean an alliance. In a democracy, people and political leaders can meet the Prime Minister to discuss various issues. It should not be interpreted as an indication of any political understanding,” Poonia said.
Poonia said he would hold organisational meetings in Jalandhar with state office-bearers, district presidents and district in-charges to assess the party’s strengths, challenges and priorities. He said the BJP would strengthen its organisation from the booth level to the state level and prepare a roadmap for the 2027 elections.
“The first factor for Mission Punjab is a strong organisation. My priority is to strengthen that organisation, take it to every booth and prepare the party for the political challenges ahead,” he said.
Poonia also announced that the BJP’s ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’ would be held from September 17 to October 17 across the country, including Punjab. He said the month-long campaign would focus on social service and public welfare and include programmes on cleanliness, women empowerment, youth, innovation and other social causes.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would complete 25 years in public executive office on October 7, 2026, having taken oath as Gujarat chief minister on October 7, 2001, before serving as Prime Minister for more than 12 years.
Poonia said programmes under the campaign would be organised at booth, circle, district and state levels and that he had come to Punjab to prepare the organisational machinery for its implementation.
He said the BJP's strength lay in its cadre and stressed the importance of workers in the organisation.
“There are limited organisational positions and limited tickets for elections, but the party has always made efforts to give due respect and responsibility to its workers. Those who remain continuously connected with the party and work with commitment are certainly recognized by the organization,” he said.
Poonia also urged party workers to maintain discipline and raise their views within the party’s organisational framework. He said discipline, commitment and collective effort would be essential to achieving the BJP’s Mission Punjab 2027 objective.