NEW DELHI: The BJP is learnt to have intensified its strategic focus on Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab as it begins early preparations for the 2027 Assembly polls. The party leadership is consulting state leaders, reviewing issues and assessing grassroots preparedness to strengthen its electoral prospects in the three key states.
In Uttarakhand, 17 Assembly constituencies have been placed under direct monitoring, with extensive organisational outreach and ground-level engagement programmes underway. Similar focused efforts are being carried out in 70-75 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh and 117 constituencies in Punjab.
As part of its early poll preparations, the BJP is learnt to have begun strengthening its organisational structure from the district level up to the state leadership. The party is working to reinforce its booth-management network through the ‘Panna Pramukh’ model while mobilising local workers to engage with voters on issues affecting their respective areas.
The BJP typically begins preparing for state elections one to two years in advance. Besides Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, the party has reportedly initiated groundwork in four other states that are scheduled to go to the polls in 2027. Encouraged by its recent organisational success in West Bengal, where the party adopted a systematic grassroots campaign, BJP strategists are now considering a similar model for Punjab, which is currently governed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Speaking to this newspaper, a senior BJP source here said that feedback from workers on the ground is first collected on local issues and other concerns to assess where the party’s position is weak and where it remains consolidated, based on local people’s views.
The source added that public feedback on the performance of sitting MLAs is also being gathered through multiple channels. Such assessments are expected to play a significant role in determining whether incumbent legislators are retained or replaced during the ticket distribution process.
If party sources are to be believed, the BJP may not hesitate to make difficult decisions regarding candidate selection, particularly in politically crucial states such as Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, the party is reportedly focusing on 70 to 75 Assembly seats it narrowly lost in recent elections.
These constituencies are receiving special attention as part of the BJP’s pre-poll groundwork. In fact, BJP strategists view Uttar Pradesh as central to the party’s long-term political calculations. With the state sending 80 Members of Parliament to the Lok Sabha, the BJP is expected to leave no stone unturned in its efforts to maintain its political dominance ahead of the high-stakes 2029 General Election.
However, the BJP also faces challenges from opposition parties, particularly the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, which have been raising several issues against the ruling party.
In Uttarakhand, the BJP is pursuing a focused strategy to prevent fragmentation of its voter base and ensure it retains power in the next state polls.
In Punjab, sources said that the BJP is seeking to challenge the AAP government on issues such as law and order, development, welfare delivery and anti-incumbency sentiment.
The party is also expected to raise concerns over the drug menace, cross-border smuggling of narcotics and arms, and the increasing use of drones by smuggling networks operating from across the border.
To counter AAP’s positioning on agricultural concerns, the BJP is learnt to be considering a range of welfare measures and policy promises aimed at Punjab’s farming community.