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Punjab Politics Heats Up as AAP Protests ED Raids Amid 2027 Election Preparations
Haripriya 25 Sept 2026 5 min read 324 views
Chandigarh: Political tensions in Punjab have intensified following Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches at the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) office and locations linked to members of the state government. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly criticised the searches, while the development comes as political parties (opens in a new tab) step up preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
The ED searches were conducted on Wednesday at the GMADA office in Mohali, the residence of Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian's nephew in Sahnewal, and a government bungalow in Sector 39, Chandigarh, where AAP leader Satyendar Jain stays during his visits to the city.
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AAP workers gathered outside the GMADA office in Mohali on Thursday while the ED team was conducting its search. According to Hindustan Times, some protesters crossed police barricades and entered the premises. The report said an SUV belonging to ED officials was damaged and its tyres were deflated, while police later intervened to clear the protesters from the area. Several people, including AAP MLA Amansher Singh, were detained by Mohali police.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the BJP-led central government of using central agencies to create pressure on the Punjab government and AAP leaders. Cheema said the state government and the party would pursue legal remedies and continue political protests.
These claims represent the AAP's position. The ED's searches and their underlying investigation should be distinguished from the political allegations made by the ruling party.
Cheema Questions Searches and Land Deal Allegations
The ED action is linked to allegations concerning land deals and change-of-land-use (CLU) approvals involving GMADA, according to reports.
Cheema denied wrongdoing and said land that had remained unused was sold to private companies through public auction. He also questioned the manner in which the search was conducted at the Sector 39 government bungalow.
Cheema alleged that officials broke open the locks at the property and questioned the circumstances of the search. The ED has not publicly responded to the specific allegations made by Cheema regarding the bungalow in the Hindustan Times report.
Hardeep Singh Mundian Raises Allegations After Search
Housing and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian also criticised the ED action after the search at his nephew **Gurpreet Singh Saini's residence in Sahnewal.
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Mundian alleged that his family was pressured during the operation and claimed that officials asked them to persuade him to leave the AAP and join another political party. He also said the family was given a document stating that nothing had been recovered during the search.
These are allegations made by the minister. Hindustan Times reported that the federal agency's spokesperson declined to comment on Mundian's allegations.
AAP Links ED Action to Punjab's Election Politics
The ED searches have become part of the wider political contest in Punjab as parties prepare for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Cheema alleged that central investigative agencies are frequently used against opposition or state-level political leaders before elections. AAP leaders have framed the latest searches as an attempt to put political pressure on the Punjab government.
The BJP and the central agencies have their own positions on the investigations, and the allegations made by AAP leaders should not be treated as established findings.
Bhagwant Mann Begins Door-to-Door Election Campaign
The latest confrontation comes at a time when AAP has already begun its campaign preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the party's "Mann Da Munafa" door-to-door campaign from Dhuri on September 20-21. The campaign is designed to take the AAP government's report card and its claims about completed schemes and guarantees directly to households across the state.
According to the Indian Express, AAP plans to distribute pamphlets containing its claimed achievements as well as a "chargesheet" against previous SAD-BJP and Congress governments during the month-long campaign, which is scheduled to continue until October 20.
Drug Issue Becomes Another Major Political Battleground
The drug issue has also emerged as a major subject in Punjab's political campaign.
The BJP launched its Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra on September 18. The campaign consists of four simultaneous yatras covering around 4,000 kilometres and reaching all 117 Assembly constituencies. The campaign is scheduled to conclude in Jalandhar on September 30.
The BJP has used the campaign to target the AAP government over the drug problem. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in turn, has criticised the BJP and referred to the period when the party was in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
The competing campaigns show how the drug issue is becoming an important part of the political debate ahead of the 2027 election.
Congress Adopts Collective Leadership Approach
The Congress is also preparing for the Punjab Assembly election.
Newly appointed Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot has said that the party will contest the 2027 election without projecting a chief ministerial face beforehand. Punjab Congress leaders have endorsed a collective leadership approach, with the decision on the chief ministerial candidate to be taken after the election.
The approach comes after differences among senior Punjab Congress leaders, including state Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
BJP, SAD and Other Parties Intensify Outreach
The BJP is expanding its political activity in Punjab through its anti-drug campaign and organisational outreach. The SAD also remains active on the drug issue and other matters concerning Punjab's regional interests.
At the same time, the AAP government is focusing on its governance record and direct voter outreach, while Congress is working on organisational coordination ahead of the Assembly election.
This creates a multi-party political contest in which governance, drugs, development, law and order and the relationship between the Punjab government and the Centre are expected to remain important issues.
Punjab Politics Enters an Active Election Phase
The ED searches at GMADA and the subsequent AAP protest have added a new point of confrontation between the ruling party in Punjab and the BJP-led central government.
At the same time, the launch of AAP's Mann Da Munafa campaign, the BJP's Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra and Congress's collective-leadership strategy show that political parties are already preparing their organisations and campaign narratives for the 2027 Assembly election (opens in a new tab).
With Punjab's 117 Assembly constituencies in focus, the coming months are expected to see increased political outreach, public campaigns, debates over governance and competing claims on issues such as drugs, development and law and order.
The latest developments indicate that Punjab's political environment is becoming increasingly active as parties prepare for the next Assembly election, while the ED searches have added another contentious issue to the political debate.
“AAP has intensified its political response after ED searches at GMADA and locations linked to Punjab government figures, while Bhagwant Mann's election campaign, the BJP's anti-drug yatra and Congress's collective-leadership strategy add to the growing political activity ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections”
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