BJP to contest all 117 Punjab Assembly seats, vows to form government: BL Santosh
Synopsis
BJP General Secretary BL Santosh has declared the party will go it alone across all 117 Punjab Assembly seats — a bold bet in a state where the BJP has historically depended on alliance arithmetic, and where the Akali Dal split of 2020 left it without its most durable regional partner.
Key Takeaways
BJP national General Secretary B.L.
Santosh announced on 24 August that the party will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab.
Santosh is on a two-day organisational tour of Punjab, chairing zonal meetings in Patiala , Bathinda , Ludhiana , Jalandhar , and Amritsar .
The tour focuses on booth-level strengthening and communicating Central government achievements to voters.
The Shiromani Akali Dal broke from the BJP-led NDA in September 2020 over the farm laws, leaving the BJP without its traditional Punjab alliance partner.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the AAP government and both Congress and the Akali Dal at a Jalandhar rally on 17 July .
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national General Secretary B.L. Santosh on Monday, 24 August declared that the party will field candidates across all 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab and is committed to forming the next state government. The announcement came during the first zonal meeting of his two-day organisational tour of the state, held in Patiala.
What Santosh Said
'Punjab is fully ready for change, and the BJP is fully prepared to make this change a reality. In the upcoming Assembly elections, the BJP will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab and, by securing a victory, will form its government in the state,' Santosh said while addressing party leaders and organisational office-bearers at the Patiala zonal meeting.
Key Developments from the Organisational Tour
Santosh was received at Mohali airport by state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon and state co-in-charge Narendra Singh Raina. On the first day, he chaired organisational meetings in Patiala and Bathinda. On 25 August, zonal meetings are scheduled in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Amritsar, with a separate session for state General Secretaries also planned in Amritsar.
The meetings are focused on reviewing the party's organisational strength across Punjab's regions, reinforcing booth-level presence, and communicating the Central government's policy achievements to voters. The tour underscores the BJP's intent to build ground-level infrastructure well ahead of the next Assembly polls.
The BJP's Punjab Challenge
The BJP's pledge to go it alone in Punjab marks a significant strategic shift. The party's traditional alliance partner, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) — one of the oldest partners in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) — severed ties with the BJP in September 2020 over the three farm laws, which have since been repealed. The Akali Dal was among the first parties to back the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1996, the shortest Prime Ministerial stint in India's history, making the current estrangement a notable rupture in BJP's northern alliance politics.
At a rally in Jalandhar on 17 July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab and also criticised the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal, signalling the BJP's intent to position itself as the sole alternative to the incumbent government.
What to Watch
With the Akali Dal out of the picture and AAP firmly entrenched as the ruling party, the BJP faces a steep climb in a state where it has historically relied on alliance arithmetic rather than independent electoral strength. Whether the booth-level mobilisation Santosh is overseeing translates into a credible vote share will be the key test as the election cycle approaches.
Point of View
But the arithmetic is unforgiving. The BJP won just two seats in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections — without the Akali Dal and against a Modi wave that did not translate in the state. Santosh's booth-level blitz is the right instinct, but the party is essentially rebuilding from near-zero in a state where agrarian grievances over the farm laws still linger. The real question is whether organisational energy can substitute for the social coalition the Akali Dal once provided. If it cannot, the 117-seat pledge risks becoming a headline without a harvest.
NationPress
24 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did BL Santosh announce about the BJP's Punjab election strategy?
BJP national General Secretary B.L. Santosh announced on 24 August that the party will contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab and aims to form the government. The declaration was made at a zonal meeting in Patiala during his two-day organisational visit to the state.
Why is the BJP contesting Punjab elections without the Shiromani Akali Dal?
The Shiromani Akali Dal broke away from the BJP-led NDA in September 2020 over disagreements on the three farm laws, which have since been repealed. The two parties have not reconciled since, leaving the BJP to contest Punjab independently.
What is the purpose of BL Santosh's two-day Punjab visit?
The visit is aimed at reviewing the BJP's organisational preparedness for the upcoming Assembly elections through zonal meetings across Punjab. It focuses on strengthening the party's booth-level presence and communicating Central government policies to voters.
Which cities are covered in BL Santosh's Punjab organisational tour?
On 24 August, meetings were held in Patiala and Bathinda. On 25 August, zonal meetings are scheduled in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Amritsar, with a separate session for state General Secretaries in Amritsar.
What is the BJP's current political standing in Punjab?
The BJP is currently in opposition in Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party holds power. The party's traditional alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal ended in 2020, and the BJP won only two Assembly seats in the 2022 state elections, making the 117-seat pledge a significant organisational challenge.
