Executive committee meeting BJP looks to deepen SC outreach ahead of 2027 Punjab elections

The BJP is looking to deepen its outreach among Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with a day-long meeting of its state executive committee in Sangrur focusing on creating awareness about the central government’s welfare schemes and ensuring that beneficiaries avail them.

Accusing the AAP government of failing on multiple fronts, the party prepared a chargesheet against it over issues ranging from drug abuse to gangsterism.

Chaired by Kewal Singh Dhillon, it was the first state executive committee meeting since he took charge as the Punjab BJP president, which focused on strengthening the organisation, finalising its future political strategy and intensifying its campaign against the “failures of the AAP government”.

The meeting also sought to put the AAP government on the defensive over pending SC scholarship funds, the backlog of government jobs under the SC/ST category and the allotment of panchayati land on lease to Dalits.

Speaking about Sangrur, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, for the meeting instead of Chandigarh, the party’s state headquarters, a senior BJP leader said the party intended to take its organisational activities beyond Chandigarh as it prepared for the Assembly elections.

With 31.94 per cent of the population, according to the 2011 Census, Scheduled Castes significantly dominate the state’s electoral landscape.

BJP leaders discussed ways to make the community aware of the central government schemes, including the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students, National Fellowship for SC students and the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY). The discussions also covered Stand-Up India, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana and Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, which are open to eligible beneficiaries across communities, including SCs.

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BJP leaders also stressed the need to highlight the benefits of the PM-KISAN scheme among farmers, underlining that Rs 6,552.63 crore has been disbursed under the scheme in Punjab. They said party workers must have all such information to tell the farmers.

Notably, the current outreach programme is in line with the strategy the BJP adopted during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and subsequent bypolls, when the party engaged the community through meetings in SC-dominated localities, including SC vehraas, even as they faced protests by farm unions in several villages.

The executive committee also passed a resolution seeking details from the AAP government on the pending scholarship budget for SC students, vacant government posts under the SC/ST category and lease for panchayati land. Under the applicable rules, one-third of panchayati land available for leasing in Punjab is reserved for SC members. BJP leaders said the state government should make the relevant figures public.

Though the murder of anti-drug activist Parwinder Singh Jhota, the drug menace and the law and order situation were also discussed, the meeting devoted considerable attention to the party’s political strategy and organisational expansion ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Speaking to reporters, Dhillon said drug menace, gangsterism, corruption and deteriorating law and order in the state were making life difficult for ordinary citizens, traders, government employees and young people across the state.

Emphasising the need for a “double-engine” government in Punjab, Dhillon said that only the BJP could provide lasting solutions to the state’s problems.

The meeting, chaired by Dhillon, began with the state president hoisting the party flag. It also unanimously passed a resolution commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi for completing 25 years in public service, first as Gujarat Chief Minister and then as Prime Minister.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh initiated the discussion on Modi’s public service journey and moved the resolution. Former Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, former state presidents Manoranjan Kalia and Ashwani Sharma, and BJP national vice-president Manpreet Singh Badal participated in the discussion.

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A session on ‘Organisation and Future Plan’ was addressed by Punjab in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Dr Satish Poonia. State General Secretary (Organisation) Srinivasulu Mantri outlined plans to strengthen the party organisation and discussed upcoming programmes, while Punjab co-in-charge Virendra Sachdeva and co-in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Alka Gurjar also addressed the gathering.

The committee reviewed the BJP’s Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra and its campaign against drugs. Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak discussed the chargesheet prepared against the AAP government, while former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar shared details related to the party’s election manifesto.