3 weeks ago

Faction Wars and Internal Rifts Shape Punjab's 2027 Elections

Faction Wars and Internal Rifts Shape Punjab's 2027 Elections
Faction Wars: How Internal Rifts Are Shaping Punjab's Polls · NDTV

Big political parties in Punjab are getting ready for elections in 2027.

But instead of only fighting each other, many of them are fighting inside their own groups.

The Congress party has two leaders, Charanjit Singh Channi and Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who do not get along.

They have been boycotting each other's events and putting up posters against each other.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power now, is worried because many voters are unhappy with it.

Its support in cities has dropped from 42 per cent in 2022 to around 36 per cent.

Also, a very important person from the AAP, Sandeep Pathak, left the party and joined the BJP.

The BJP is growing in cities, but some of its leaders quit after big changes in the party.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has lost a lot of voters and is now looking for new friends.

So before the big election, all the parties are trying hard to fix their own problems first.

Key facts

Target election
2027 Punjab assembly elections
Congress internal dispute
Amrinder Singh Raja Warring vs Charanjit Singh Channi
AAP urban vote share
Fell from 42% (2022) to about 36% in recent municipal polls
SAD vote share
18.38% in 2022, an all-time low (34.73% in 2012)
SAD municipal vote share
8.98%; combined with BJP urban share would top 26.5%
Key defection
Sandeep Pathak (AAP) joined the BJP
BJP resignations
Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal, Chetan Mohan Joshi, Dr Jagmohan Singh Raju, Maninder Kapyal
Assembly constituencies
117 in Punjab

Quotes

Professor Ashutosh Kumar

Professor of Political Science, Panjab University

“"Despite back-to-back interventions, marathon conciliation meetings led by state in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, and stern ultimatums issued by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, Delhi's central leadership has proven entirely ineffective at enforcing discipline or constructing a unified power‑sharing formula."”
NDTV
“"See how the Congress leaders love each other. Randhawa and Channi are at loggerheads, Channi and Bajwa are not on the same page, and Channi and Warring are waging an open war against each other."”
NDTV

Sources

Related news