After Haryana hat-trick, BJP gears up for Punjab push
New state chief, Cabinet rejig, RS polls to dominate agenda
Still basking in the glow of its emphatic hat-trick in the 2024 Assembly elections, the BJP is gearing up for a politically and organisationally packed 2026.
What to expect in 2026
BJP to use Haryana as launch pad for 2027 Punjab Assembly polls
Modi, Shah’s visits set tone for BJP’s Punjab forays
New BJP state chief likely; aspirants, including Badoli, in fray
CM Saini to continue selling Haryana model to Punjab voters
Khattar, Rao Inderjit to play ‘kingmakers’ in party, Cabinet decisions
BJP, Congress likely to bag one Rajya Sabha seat each — will BJP engineer another Independent victory?
While the party is expecting the appointment of a long-overdue new state president, its cadre is bracing for a demanding year as the saffron outfit prepares to position Haryana as the launch pad for its political push into neighbouring, poll-bound Punjab. Recent visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah — blending politics, religion and governance — have already set the tone for the BJP’s outreach in Punjab, a crucial border state where the party is keen to expand its footprint ahead of the February 2027 Assembly elections.
“The West Bengal and Punjab polls are on the top of the agenda of the BJP, especially Shah, who masterminded and micromanaged the hat-trick in Haryana,” said a BJP insider.
The massive religious outreach programmes organised by the BJP government, attended by Modi and Shah as part of the 350th martyrdom anniversary celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur, are being seen as a conscious attempt to send the right message to Punjab’s Sikh community.
Related news: Guru-centric events matter of faith, not political strategy: Haryana CM
This, coupled with the political forays of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini — who has been projecting the Haryana model of “sab ka saath, sabka vikas aur sab ka prayaas” in Punjab — is being viewed by the BJP as a potential game-changer, much to the discomfort of his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Singh Mann. The party is also keen to politically leverage the ‘roti-beti ka rishta’ (close social and familial ties) between Haryana and Punjab.
On the organisational front, incumbent BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli is hopeful of another term. However, several aspirants — including Krishan Bedi, Krishan Lal Panwar, Sanjay Bhatia, Ajay Gaur, Aseem Goel, Manish Grover, Surinder Punia and Capt Abhimanyu — are lobbying hard with the high command for the top post.
Former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who continues to take a keen interest in Haryana’s affairs, and Ahirwal strongman and Union Minister Rao Inderjit Singh are reportedly being consulted in the selection of the new party chief.
Interestingly, the two ‘kingmakers’ are also expected to play a decisive role in an anticipated Cabinet reshuffle, aimed at dropping non-performers and infusing fresh blood into the Saini government, where governance challenges are increasingly being seen as an Achilles’ heel.
Politically, both the BJP and the Congress will be on high alert with two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana falling vacant in April 2026. While the numbers suggest that the BJP and the Congress should secure one seat each, political observers are speculating whether the BJP could once again pull off a coup, as it did earlier by facilitating the election of “Independent” media barons Subhash Chandra and Kartikeya Sharma to the Upper House.
Whether the party will rehabilitate a ‘turncoat’ political dynast or opt for a homegrown leader for the Rajya Sabha is also being keenly debated in political circles.
