BJP to go solo in 2027 Punjab Assembly poll, says party working president

Amid speculations of a possible tie-up with their estranged partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma on Thursday said his party would contest the 2027 state Assembly poll alone.

The statement comes days after Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar told The Tribune that his party’s alliance with the SAD was the need of the hour. He said this while warning that forces inimical to the state’s interest were resurfacing as these had in 1996 when the pact was first formalised to ensure communal harmony in the state.

The Akalis had walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2020 following differences over the now-withdrawn three controversial farm laws.

Commenting on it, Sharma said his party had contested the 2022 Assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha poll alone.

Addressing BJP workers and leaders at Guru Nanak Dev Bhawan, he said, this time, his party would contest on all 117 Assembly seats.

He asked party workers and leaders to time to pull up socks and start working at the grassroots, saying people had high hopes from the BJP, which had “immensely contributed” to the state’s welfare.

He also termed the anti-sacrilege Bill introduced by the AAP government in the state Assembly a “political stunt”.

He said had the ruling party been serious about it, it would have ensure punishment to those behind the 2015 sacrilege cases as provisions existed in the law to deal with such cases.