3 weeks ago
Jailed Amritpal Singh Looms Over Punjab's Upcoming Assembly Elections
There is a man in Punjab named Amritpal Singh who many people talk about, even though he is in prison far away in another state called Assam.
He is a member of parliament and won a big election while sitting in jail.
His group, called Waris Punjab De, wants him to be freed.
Last week, his supporters broke through barriers in a city called Chandigarh and asked the Chief Minister to release him and other Sikh prisoners.
Many young people in Punjab like Amritpal because he talks about problems like drugs and unemployment.
Older people remember troubled times in Punjab's past and are afraid that similar problems could come back.
His group tried to win a local election in Tarn Taran but came in third, which shows it is not very strong yet.
The government says Amritpal is dangerous and should stay in jail to keep peace.
So Punjab is watching to see what happens in the next big election.
This is a story about how a leader in prison can still affect politics.
Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh has been jailed in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, since April 2023 but remains a looming force in Punjab politics.
Last week, Waris Punjab De workers breached police barricades in Chandigarh to demand his release and that of jailed Sikh political prisoners.
Waris Punjab De, formed in January 2025, gained a key recruit when SAD (Badal) MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali joined in May.
Amritpal won the Khadoor Sahib seat by almost two lakh votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while contesting as an Independent from jail.
In the November 2025 Tarn Taran bypoll, Waris Punjab De's candidate finished third, exposing the party's weak village-level organisation.
- Who
- Jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, his party Waris Punjab De, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and other Punjab political parties.
- What
- Amritpal Singh's continued political influence and the rise of his new party, Waris Punjab De, ahead of Punjab's next Assembly elections.
- Where
- Punjab, India, with Amritpal held in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam.
- When
- Ongoing; Amritpal has been jailed since April 2023, with recent events including a Chandigarh protest and the November 2025 Tarn Taran bypoll.
- Why
- Amritpal's electoral mandate, anti-drug campaign, and articulation of Sikh grievances keep him relevant, while the state argues his release threatens public order.
Amritpal's supporters and sympathetic voters
Punjab government and security agencies
Political voice vs. security threat
Amritpal's supporters and sympathetic voters
Supporters see Amritpal as a legitimate voice for Sikh grievances, admire his anti-drug campaign, and sympathise with him after the sweeping police crackdown during the 2023 manhunt.
Punjab government and security agencies
The government cites the Ajnala Police Station siege, the alleged armed outfit Anandpur Khalsa Fauj, and links with extremists to argue his return continues to pose a threat to public order.
Generational divide
Amritpal's supporters and sympathetic voters
Young Punjabis with no memory of the militancy era are drawn to his religious assertion because of drugs, unemployment, migration, and a sense of discrimination.
Punjab government and security agencies
Older Punjabis remember the cost of similar rhetoric during the turbulence of the late 1970s and 1980s and remain fearful of the consequences for Punjab.
Key facts
- Main figure
- Amritpal Singh, Khadoor Sahib MP
- Imprisonment
- In Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, since April 2023
- Party
- Waris Punjab De (Shiromani Akali Dal), formed January 2025
- 2024 Lok Sabha result
- Won Khadoor Sahib by almost two lakh votes as an Independent from jail
- Tarn Taran bypoll (Nov 2025)
- Waris Punjab De candidate third with 19,620 votes; AAP retained the seat
- Notable joining
- Manpreet Singh Ayali, SAD (Badal) MLA, joined in May 2025
- Security grounds
- Ajnala Police Station siege (Feb 2023), alleged Anandpur Khalsa Fauj, links with extremists
- Punjab Chief Minister
- Bhagwant Mann (Aam Aadmi Party)
Quotes
Amritpal Singh
Jailed MP and founder of Waris Punjab De
“Sikhs should learn from the Palestine struggle”
indianexpress.com










