Punjab Election 2027 Latest News: Drug Issue Takes Centre Stage as BJP Intensifies Campaign

Punjab Election 2027 Latest News: The drug menace has emerged as one of the major political issues in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly election, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making it the central theme of its statewide Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra. The campaign has brought the issue into sharper focus as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also intensify their political activities ahead of the election.

The BJP's campaign comes as parties prepare for an increasingly active pre-election period in Punjab, where the Assembly has 117 seats and the election is due in early 2027.

BJP Takes Drug Issue Across Punjab

The BJP launched its Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra on September 18 with four separate routes beginning from Pathankot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka and Talwandi Sabo.

The four yatras travelled across Punjab and collectively covered around 4,000 kilometres and all 117 Assembly constituencies before converging in Jalandhar on September 30. Senior BJP leaders and Union ministers participated in the campaign at different stages.

The BJP has presented the campaign as a statewide effort to highlight the impact of drugs on families and communities. The issue has particular political significance because drug addiction and trafficking have remained subjects of public and political concern in Punjab for more than a decade.

Amit Shah Addresses Jalandhar Rally

The BJP's yatra culminated in Jalandhar on September 30, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a major rally.

Shah made the drug issue a central part of his address and announced a target of making Punjab free from “chitta” by December 31, 2029, if the BJP forms the government in the state. The BJP has used the announcement as a major campaign message ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.

The campaign has also involved senior BJP leaders from Punjab and other states, including Union ministers and chief ministers who participated in different programmes during the yatra.

Drug Issue Cuts Across Political and Social Groups

The BJP's decision to focus heavily on drugs reflects the broad social impact of the issue in Punjab.

During the campaign, BJP leaders highlighted families affected by addiction and drug-related deaths. A separate programme in Chandigarh brought together families who shared their experiences of the impact of drugs on their households.

The campaign has therefore sought to frame drugs not only as a law-and-order issue but also as a social and family concern.

At the same time, the political parties differ over how responsibility for the problem should be assessed and what measures are required to address it.

AAP Challenges BJP's Drug Campaign

The BJP's campaign has triggered a political response from the ruling AAP government.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other AAP leaders have questioned the BJP's record on the drug issue, particularly during the period when the BJP was an alliance partner of the Shiromani Akali Dal government from 2007 to 2017.

BJP leaders have responded that the party was the junior partner in those governments and did not hold the Chief Minister or Deputy Chief Minister positions.

AAP has also criticised the BJP's current campaign, arguing that tackling the drug problem requires cooperation and action across states rather than only political campaigning.

SAD Also Makes Drugs a Political Issue

The Shiromani Akali Dal has also placed the drug issue prominently in its political outreach.

SAD has been conducting its Punjab Bachao rallies and has launched the Maawan Diyan Insaaf Yatra, a women-focused campaign around the drug problem.

The party has used its public programmes to raise concerns about drugs while also criticising the AAP government. The drug issue has consequently become a point of competition among several parties preparing for the 2027 election.

AAP Focuses on Governance and Election Outreach

While BJP and SAD are making drugs a prominent campaign issue, the ruling AAP is also expanding its election mobilisation.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the party's 2027 election campaign in September and released a pamphlet highlighting the government's record.

AAP has also been conducting door-to-door outreach through its “Ghar-Ghar Maan De Munafe” campaign, along with roadshows and public meetings across constituencies.

The party is using these programmes to communicate its governance record and welfare measures directly to voters as it prepares for the election.

Congress Undergoes Leadership Change

Congress is also preparing for the 2027 election, but its organisation in Punjab has entered a new phase.

On October 1, reports said that the Congress high command had decided to replace Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. According to the report, Warring has offered to resign, while Vijay Inder Singla, Pargat Singh, Rana KP Singh and Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria are among the names being considered for his replacement. Vijay Inder Singla has emerged as a reported frontrunner, although the formal announcement was still awaited.

The decision followed organisational consultations conducted by newly appointed Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot, who took charge earlier in September.

This leadership development comes with less than five months remaining before the expected Assembly election.

BJP Campaign Expands Beyond Urban Centres

The Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra has also taken the BJP into rural and semi-urban areas where the party has traditionally faced organisational challenges.

According to BJP leaders, the four yatras conducted hundreds of public programmes and reached villages across Punjab. However, reports also noted differences in crowd sizes at various locations, with some programmes attracting smaller gatherings and the party facing protests at some points along the routes. BJP and AAP offered different explanations for these incidents.

The campaign nevertheless represents a significant statewide organisational exercise by the BJP ahead of the 2027 election.

Punjab Election 2027: Major Issues Taking Shape

As the election approaches, several issues are emerging in the political debate:

• Drug trafficking and addiction

• Governance and welfare schemes

• Employment and migration

• Agriculture and farmers' concerns

• Law and order

• Punjab's finances

• Centre-state relations

• Political alliances

• Organisational changes within political parties

The drug issue currently occupies a particularly prominent position because multiple parties are using it in their political campaigns.

Punjab Politics Moves Into an Active Pre-Election Phase

The BJP's 4,000-kilometre Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra has placed the drug issue at the centre of its campaign for the 2027 Assembly election. The campaign covered all 117 constituencies and culminated in Amit Shah's Jalandhar rally on September 30.

AAP is simultaneously focusing on its government record and grassroots outreach, while SAD is conducting Punjab Bachao programmes and its own anti-drug campaign. Congress is preparing for a broader election campaign while dealing with a reported change in its Punjab leadership.

With the election approaching, the political debate in Punjab is likely to expand beyond the drug issue to include governance, employment, agriculture, welfare, law and order and Centre-state relations.

The final election schedule, candidate lists and party manifestos have not yet been announced, so the political landscape remains subject to further changes in the months ahead.