Patiala, Feb 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party has initiated a strategic outreach in Punjab, deploying Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to connect with the Saini community ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. The campaign focuses on the Patiala belt and border regions, where the party aims to capitalize on internal friction within the opposition.
Chief Minister Saini has adopted a localized approach during his recent visits to Nabha and Sanaur, donning a traditional turban and addressing gatherings in Punjabi. Party insiders mentioned that the saffron party plans to schedule approximately 10 visits for Saini within a single month, targeting the Kandi belt of Ropar and Hoshiarpur alongside areas adjacent to the Haryana border.
“He is showcasing how Haryana is on a growth trajectory, while Punjab is slipping into a situation marked by drugs, extortion and murders becoming routine,” said BJP Punjab spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal. He noted that the Chief Minister is being well received by the broader Punjabi population, beyond just the Saini community.
The demographic weight of the Saini community is particularly significant in Dera Bassi, Rajpura, and rural Patiala. Within the Patiala Lok Sabha constituency, which has around 18 lakh voters, the community accounts for an estimated 1.5 lakh votes. The BJP previously secured over 25 percent of the vote share in this constituency during the last Lok Sabha polls.
The party remains optimistic about its prospects in the region following the performance of former Union Minister Preneet Kaur, who polled 2,88,998 votes. BJP leaders mentioned that Saini’s ability to “strike a chord with people” serves as a vital tool in their effort to establish a stronger foothold in the state.
