Punjab politics has entered another contentious phase ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with central agency searches, BJP’s anti-drug outreach and defections from the Aam Aadmi Party becoming major points of confrontation.
The latest flashpoint came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple locations in a corruption case involving Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Officer on Special Duty, Rajbir Singh Ghuman, and others. The searches included Mann’s camp office in Chandigarh.
The CBI action followed directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court after material shared by the Enforcement Directorate allegedly indicated prima facie involvement in corruption. The investigation is ongoing.
The AAP has accused the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies against its government ahead of the elections. The BJP has rejected the political-motive allegation, pointing to the judicially directed investigation.
BJP’s Anti-Drug Campaign Faces Political Pushback
The BJP has also stepped up its campaign against drugs in Punjab through its Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra. The initiative has become part of a wider political contest over the state’s drug problem, with AAP and other opposition parties also targeting rival parties over their record on the issue.
The BJP campaign comes as parties prepare for the 2027 Assembly elections, turning the drug crisis into a prominent political issue.
AAP leaders, meanwhile, have criticised the BJP’s outreach and questioned its political intentions. The competing campaigns have added another layer to the growing electoral contest in the state.
AAP Defections Add to the Pressure
The movement of political leaders from AAP to BJP has further intensified the dispute. Recent defections have prompted allegations of political poaching and questions over party loyalty, while BJP leaders and defectors have presented their decisions as political choices.
AAP leaders have alleged that central agencies and political pressure are being used to weaken the party. BJP leaders have rejected such claims.
The political churn comes as AAP faces internal dissent, including departures by MPs and MLAs, while parties across Punjab work to strengthen their positions before the 2027 election.
With the election approaching, the combination of agency investigations, anti-drug campaigns and defections is creating multiple fronts in Punjab’s political battle. The competing allegations remain politically contested, while the corruption investigation itself continues through the legal process.
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