Punjab BJP gets new chief, but not all leaders are happy

The Bharatiya Janata Party sprang two surprises on Thursday, 28 May, announcing new state presidents for Haryana and Punjab in a move that immediately set political circles buzzing.

While the appointment of Archana Gupta as Haryana BJP chief left even many within the party asking, "Who is she?", the choice made in neighbouring Punjab triggered an entirely different reaction. Unlike Gupta, BJP's new Punjab president Kewal Singh Dhillon is a familiar face, not only in political circles but also in the state's business and social landscape.

Party president Nitin Nabin named the industrialist-politician as the new Punjab BJP chief, replacing Sunil Jakhar. Dhillon, often credited with playing a key role in bringing Pepsi to Punjab during the militancy years, now finds himself entrusted with one of the BJP's toughest political assignments: expanding the party's footprint in a state where it remains a marginal force despite its national dominance.

The appointment is widely being viewed as part of the BJP's effort to strengthen its Sikh outreach ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Party insiders say BJP national general-secretary Tarun Chugh, who represents Punjab in the party's national leadership, had been advocating for a Sikh face to lead the state unit. The move is significant because the BJP's leadership and support base in Punjab have traditionally been concentrated among urban Hindu voters.

Dhillon's selection also carries a clear political message for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. Hailing from Sangrur district — the political backyard of chief minister Bhagwant Mann — Dhillon's elevation comes as the BJP attempts to make inroads into Malwa, Punjab's most influential political region.

Since Punjab's reorganisation in 1966, the state's politics has largely revolved around agrarian Jat Sikh leadership, particularly in Malwa. Of Punjab's 13 chief ministers, only two have emerged from outside this dominant social bloc: Giani Zail Singh, a Ramgarhia Sikh leader, and Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit Sikh.

The importance of Malwa can hardly be overstated. Stretching from Patiala and Ludhiana to Bathinda and Ferozepur, the region accounts for 69 of Punjab's 117 Assembly seats. Any party aspiring to form a government in Chandigarh must first establish a formidable presence in Malwa.

Yet the question remains: has the BJP truly checked all the boxes by choosing Dhillon?

The answer is not straightforward.

Despite his Malwa roots, Dhillon is known more as an industrialist than as a grassroots rural leader. The BJP continues to be viewed largely as an urban party with limited organisational depth in Punjab's politically decisive rural belt. The challenge becomes even sharper given that the party still lacks a prominent Scheduled Caste face and an influential farmers' leader — two constituencies that play a critical role in Punjab politics.

Complicating matters further are the reactions from some of the party's senior leaders. Former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, once regarded as one of Dhillon's closest political associates, openly questioned the appointment. Amarinder remarked that he did not consider Dhillon suitable for the position and revealed that he had not been consulted by the party high command before the decision was made.

The future of outgoing state president Sunil Jakhar also remains uncertain. When Jakhar quit the Congress and joined the BJP, he had argued that the Congress was unwilling to accept a Hindu chief minister in Punjab. Ironically, he has now been replaced as state president by a Jat Sikh leader.

Following the BJP's disappointing performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it contested all 13 parliamentary seats independently but failed to win a single one, Jakhar had offered to resign. Although the resignation was never formally accepted, the party subsequently appointed veteran RSS-BJP leader Ashwani Sharma as working president. It remains unclear whether Sharma will continue in that role under the new arrangement.

There is another irony as well. Dhillon, Amarinder Singh and Jakhar — three of the BJP's most recognisable faces in Punjab — are all imports from the Congress. That fact has not escaped the attention of the Opposition.

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was quick to attack the BJP's choice. Mocking Dhillon's appointment, Warring said the decision reflected the poor state of the BJP organisation in Punjab. "The party that dreams of forming a government in Punjab could not find a single leader from its own ranks to head the state unit," he remarked. According to Warring, the BJP has now outsourced the post of state president for the second consecutive time.