BJP Shifts Punjab Campaign Into Higher Gear After Bengal Push

The BJP is turning its attention to Punjab after a sharpened campaign in West Bengal. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in Moga marked the start of the outreach. Party president Nitin Nabin is now on a three-day visit to the state.

The move signals the party sees Punjab as a priority ahead of the next assembly elections. The state has 117 seats. The BJP won two in 2022, when the Aam Aadmi Party swept to power with 92 seats.

Shah's Moga rally focused on farm issues and security. He accused the AAP government of failing on law and order, pointing to recent incidents of violence. The party is expected to hold more rallies in Malwa and Doaba regions over the coming weeks.

Nabin's visit includes meetings with district-level party workers and local leaders. The goal is to rebuild the party's organizational structure, which took a hit after the 2022 defeat. The BJP had allied with the Shiromani Akali Dal for that election but contested alone in some seats.

The party's Punjab strategy mirrors elements of its Bengal playbook: targeted outreach to specific communities, a focus on governance failures by the incumbent, and high-visibility visits by national leaders. Whether that translates into seats will depend on how the AAP responds and whether the Congress can recover from its own internal fractures.

Punjab goes to the polls in 2027. The BJP's early start suggests it does not intend to leave the ground to its rivals.