Samachar App

The battle is not simply BJP versus Amritpal Singh on ideology. It is a contest over who gets to define the aspirations and anxieties of rural Punjab. The BJP's decision to take its political battle deep into rural Punjab is setting up an unlikely contest. The party plans to take on Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh head on in a battle for the rural vote that could prove decisive in the 2027 Assembly elections. Sources say the BJP has conveyed to the Akalis that they should hold back their campaign in rural areas, as the BJP itself wants to build a direct rural footprint rather than remain dependent on the Shiromani Akali Dal for access to the villages. The strategy marks a significant shift in Punjab politics. Having traditionally relied on the Akalis for its rural outreach, the BJP is now preparing to sell its own political proposition to the village voter. Drugs are emerging as one of the central planks of that strategy, with the party planning anti-drug yatras across all 117...