The party’s latest appointments bring together three very different political assets — Satish Poonia, Manpreet Singh Badal and Sandeep Pathak — in what could emerge as the BJP’s three-pronged strategy to navigate Punjab’s complex electoral waters. The BJP is trying every permutation and combination in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Poonia was inducted into Nitin Nabin’s new team as National General Secretary and a day later was appointed BJP’s affairs-in-charge for Punjab. A former Rajasthan BJP president and an experienced organisational leader, Poonia brings election management experience to a state where the BJP is still trying to build a full-fledged grassroots organisation. Then there is Manpreet Singh Badal, who has been elevated to the position of the BJP’s National Vice President in Nitin Nabin’s new team. A Jat Sikh and a member of the influential Badal family, Manpreet brings a recognisable political identity and decades of experience in Punjab politics. His presence gives the BJP a face that can potentially help the party reach beyond its traditional urban support base. The BJP needs a strong Jat Sikh face in Malwa if it wants to seriously expand its footprint in Punjab. Manpreet Badal fits the bill. His elevation could also be seen as another indication that the BJP is preparing to build an independent political identity in the state rather than depending entirely on its traditional alliance structure.
His latest elevation, therefore, is significant. His selection suggests that the BJP wants an experienced organisational hand to drive its Punjab strategy as it prepares for the 2027 assembly elections. He had switched to the BJP after losing the 2022 assembly election as a Congress candidate and subsequently maintained a relatively low profile when it came to organisational activities of the BJP in Punjab. Pathak was closely involved in AAP’s Punjab strategy and candidate selection ahead of the 2022 polls. His understanding of the party’s organisational structure, candidate selection process, booth level machinery and political strategy could make him particularly valuable to the BJP as it prepares to challenge AAP in 2027.
