Amit Shah launches BJP’s 2027 Punjab campaign, promises drug-free state
Union Home Minister Amit Shah kicked off the BJP’s poll campaign in Punjab with a massive rally in Killi Chahlan village in Moga district on Saturday, calling on voters to elect his party in the 2027 assembly elections and promising a “drug‑free Punjab.” Shah alleged that the state has been weakened by debt, drugs, corruption, religious conversions and gangster terror , and he positioned the BJP as the only party capable of radical change, especially under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Shah also sought a “double‑engine government” — one with the same party in power at the Centre and in the state — to improve law and order and attract industry to Punjab. He criticised the Bhagwant Mann government of the Aam Aadmi Party , alleging corruption and accusing it of turning the state into an “ATM” for its leadership.
Criticism and opposition responses were also present ahead of and during the rally. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the central government of withholding legitimate funds for the state, including GST compensation and allocations under national schemes, which he said impacted key services and development. Former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa criticised both the Centre and state governments for failing to curb rising drone smuggling, crime and drug trafficking along the Pakistan border, pointing to recent targeted killings and security lapses. BJP state president Sunil Jakhar has publicly questioned the AAP government’s handling of Punjab’s budget and debt, warning it could worsen fiscal instability.
Meanwhile, rival parties such as the Shiromani Akali Dal have continued their own campaigns, with leaders promising administrative reforms and blaming AAP for mismanagement. The rally site, spread over about 84 acres, saw extensive preparations and an expected turnout of around one lakh people, reflecting the BJP’s ambition to broaden its political reach in the state’s crucial Malwa region.