High expectations for BJP cadre from Amit Shah’s visit to Moga, Punjab 

By Rajat Kumar Mohindru
Union Home Affairs & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Punjab on 14 March 2026 and address a massive public rally in Moga. B.J.P. workers and cadre are in high spirits ahead of the visit, expecting it to motivate grassroots-level workers and focus attention on converting the vote bank in favour of the B.J.P. for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Amit Shah, often referred to as the “Chanakya” of the B.J.P., has consistently succeeded in his political strategies and campaigns.
It remains unclear whether Punjab will witness a pre-assembly election alliance or a post-assembly election alliance. Historically, alliances have often helped the B.J.P. and its partners perform better than expected, as seen in the elections of 1977 (Janata Party), 1986, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. However, in the 2022 Assembly elections, the B.J.P. contested independently and could not meet expectations. This has left party workers questioning whether an alliance could be a more effective strategy.
Under the leadership of B.J.P. State President Sunil Kumar Jakhar, the party secured an 18% vote share in the 2024 Parliamentary elections. Several senior Congress leaders joined the B.J.P., and while the party narrowly lost seats in Patiala, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, and Jalandhar, its candidates performed strongly in Assembly by-elections.
Senior B.J.P. leaders, including Capt. Amarinder Singh, Parneet Kaur, Kewal Singh Dhillon, Rana Sodhi, Manoranjan Kalia, Avinash Rai Khanna, Vijay Sampla, Som Parkash, Tikshan Sud, Ashwani Sharma, Jangi Lal Mahajan, Prof. Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Tarun Chugh, Shwet Malik, Surjit Jayani, Rakesh Rathore, Rajesh Baggha, Dr. Subash Sharma, Anil Sareen, and others, will actively engage with grassroots workers to highlight social reforms and government policies implemented under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stewardship. Their united campaign will aim to ensure victory for B.J.P. candidates in Punjab.
While B.J.P. is expected to perform well in urban areas, significant efforts will be required in rural regions to convert the vote bank. Senior leaders will first need to understand Punjab’s demographic and political landscape to strategize effectively.
If no alliance forms ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Punjab is likely to witness a multi-cornered contest, with B.J.P., S.A.D. (B), Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and S.A.D. (A) vying for power. Vote division could play a decisive role in determining which candidates secure maximum support.
Political activity is already intensifying. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently visited Punjab, while Aam Aadmi Party Supremo Arvind Kejriwal has been touring the state. S.A.D. (B) President Sukhbir Singh Badal continues to hold public rallies, while B.J.P. is conducting meetings down to the Mandal level to mobilize party workers to attend Amit Shah’s rally in Moga on 14 March 2026.
It is still early to predict how political parties in Punjab will maneuver their strategies. The voters, however, hold the ultimate power to decide the fate of these leaders through their “right of franchise.”
(Author is a Jalandhar-based Journalist. Views are personal.)