CHANDIGARH: Amid the speculations over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) realliance ahead of the upcoming 2027 Punjab Assembly Elections, it is learnt that the saffron party is preparing a list of tentative candidates if it contests solo.
Over 80 names of the potential aspirants are on the list. The move is significant as it might aid the party in a bargain with SAD, if the alliance gets finalised.
Sources said the saffron party has started the process of identifying the prospective candidates much earlier, as its state leadership has been saying that the party will fight all 117 assembly seats on its own.
A party leader, on condition of anonymity, said that in many seats the party has two to three prospective candidates, while in the urban segments of Ludhiana and Jalandhar there are even four to five prospective candidates per seat.
"In Mansa, the party has three prospective candidates: Mangat Ram Bansal, Prem Mittal and Jagdeep Nakai, all Ex-MLAs. While from Jalandhar (Cantonment), the probable candidates of the saffron party are Jagbir Brar and Sarabjeet Makkar," he added.
Sources said that, from Batala, a non-urban seat in Gurdaspur district, the tentative ticket seekers of the saffron party are Ashwani Sekri and Fetah Jung Singh Bajwa, both Ex-MLAs who were earlier in the Congress.
It is learnt that from Jalandhar (West), the ticket aspirants are former MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and former MLA Sheetal Angu; and from Ajnala, former MLA Bony Ajanla is in the race; and from Kharar, it is Ranjit Singh Gill, who left Akali Dal and joined the saffron party in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and state media in-charge Vineet Joshi.
From the Sahnewal assembly segment, it is Pritpal Singh Baliwal, State Media Co-In-charge who might contest.
A senior leader said that Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon might fight from Ludhiana (North), as it is considered a 'safe' seat of the saffron party. He also added that a former Union Minister of State for Railways is likely to fight from any of the urban seats in Jalandhar.
Bittu is also a contender for the Ludhiana (North) seat.
From the Phillaur assembly segment, it could be Charanjit Singh Atwal or Kiranjit Kaur Chaudhary, who is the wife of the late former Member of Parliament Santakh Chaudhary; she might also be considered for the Kartarpur assembly seat, said sources.
Three Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh (North), are likely to be fielded from Sanaur, Saman, Amritsar (North) seats, respectively.
Meanwhile, former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar dared the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab to field its supremo Arvind Kejriwal or state in-charge Manish Sisodia in the upcoming polls, stating that he was ready to contest against them.
Jakhar also said that he had no hesitation in contesting against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann from Dhuri if the BJP decides so.
Meanwhile, Ajay Jakhar, a suspended Congress MLA from Abohar and nephew of Sunil Jakhar, could be given a ticket.
Sources said internal BJP surveys indicate the party stands to gain electorally by allying with the SAD rather than contesting the elections alone.
Without a pre-poll alliance between the BJP and the SAD in Punjab, the Congress could gain a clear edge in the elections. Former Punjab Congress chief Raja Warring has said both parties are fighting for their survival and not for Punjab.
Asked about the possible seat-sharing formula, sources indicated that the BJP could get between 45 and 50 seats under the arrangement, although the party continues to officially maintain that it is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab.
Sources said that if at all, the BJP allies with SAD, it will be announced at an opportune time, amid the party's determined efforts to expand its presence in Punjab with an aggressive campaign against drug addiction and opposition to conversion by missionaries.
The party is also expected to keep a breakaway Akali faction, SAD (Punar Surjit), in the alliance.
BJP's vote share in Punjab in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was over 18 per cent, higher than SAD's 13 per cent. Notably, SAD, once a formidable regional player, lost its strong influence as AAP surged to power in the 2022 Assembly polls.
BJP is hopeful that a consolidation of votes in favour of its alliance can make it a strong contender for office in the state's fragmented political arena in which Congress is the main opposition party.
BJP used to contest 23 seats in the 117-member Punjab assembly as a SAD ally, before the Akalis broke off their ties in 2020 over their protest against farm laws.
On the other hand, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will hold a meeting on Friday to discuss organisational strategies.
RSS joint general secretary, Arun Kumar, the third in command in the Sangh, has convened a meeting with top leaders of the organisation and the BJP.
All top state leaders, including state BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon, state organising secretary Manthri Srinivasulu, BJP vice president Manpreet Badal, and others, are invited to the meeting that would take stock of the ground situation.
The meeting will take place in Chandigarh tonight and is expected to last for about four hours.
The RSD has been working on the ground in Punjab to deepen BJP organisation ahead of the next year’s election. The party has been able to set up over 24,000 booths across the state.
RSS has also been working with different segments of Punjab to expand BJP outreach. The plan is to seek votes from a comprehensive segment of people, including a majority of Sikhs and all other castes and communities, including Hindus.
The heightened focus is on OBCs and SCs in the state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally leading the engagement with the politically influential deras of Punjab.
