With Punjab’s 2027 Assembly elections approaching, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu arrived at the Assembly carrying a bottle of liquor to target Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over alleged alcohol-related claims. But his dramatic gesture raises a question of its own: is this the political role Bittu has chosen for himself within the BJP ? Has Bittu run short of bigger political issues to raise or is he trying to stay relevant in Punjab politics by targeting Mann with headline-grabbing stunts ?
पंजाब में 2027 के विधानसभा चुनाव नज़दीक आ रहे हैं। भाजपा नेता रवनीत सिंह बिट्टू विधानसभा में शराब की बोतल लेकर पहुँचे और मुख्यमंत्री भगवंत मान पर शराब से जुड़े आरोपों को लेकर निशाना साधा। लेकिन उनके इस नाटकीय कदम ने एक और सवाल खड़ा कर दिया है: क्या भाजपा में बिट्टू की राजनीतिक भूमिका अब इसी तरह के प्रदर्शन तक सीमित रह गई है ? क्या बिट्टू के पास उठाने के लिए बड़े राजनीतिक मुद्दे नहीं बचे हैं या वह भगवंत मान पर सुर्खियाँ बटोरने वाले हमलों के ज़रिए पंजाब की राजनीति में अपनी प्रासंगिकता बनाए रखना चाहते हैं ?
The BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal were long-time allies until the Akalis quit the National Democratic Alliance in 2020 over the farm laws. In the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, contesting separately, the BJP won just 2 of 117 seats, while the Akali Dal won 3. Now, ahead of the 2027 elections, reports suggest the two parties may reunite, with the BJP contesting around 55 seats and the Akalis the remaining 62. After once planning to contest all 117 seats alone, the BJP appears to be reconsidering its strategy. Does this possible reunion signal that the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal realise they may struggle to challenge both Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party on their own in Punjab ?
