Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin on Friday, 18 September flagged off the 'Drug-Free Punjab Journey' — a 13-day, 4,000-km campaign spanning all 117 Assembly seats — from Ekta Sthal at Madhopur in Pathankot district. The launch marks a significant political push by the BJP in the election-bound state, where drug addiction has become a defining public concern.

What Nabin Said at the Launch

Addressing the gathering at the flag-off, Nabin drew a sharp contrast between Punjab's martial legacy and its present crisis. 'Our young Punjabis, whenever a threat loomed on the country's borders, stand ready at the frontlines with rifles in hand. But today, Punjab faces an enemy that doesn't wear a uniform; it sneaks silently into our villages and homes, gradually ensnaring entire families in its grip,' he said.

He identified that enemy as addiction and its mafia, pledging to eradicate both. 'I have come with a call to make Punjab completely drug-free,' Nabin declared, describing the campaign not merely as a march but as 'a new battle for Punjab.'

Notably, Nabin — who was sporting a saffron-coloured turban — said he had travelled from Patna, invoking the legacy of Guru Gobind Singh, to carry a single message: that the campaign must reach every corner of Punjab by uniting all communities.

BJP's Political Context in Punjab

The campaign is being read as a deliberate electoral signal. Punjab goes to the polls in the near future, and the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has faced sustained criticism over its handling of the drug menace — a promise it had made central to its 2022 electoral sweep. By launching a state-wide campaign with a named endpoint — a concluding rally by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Jalandhar on 30 September — the BJP is seeking to own the anti-drug narrative ahead of the vote.

Nabin also referenced the BJP's long campaign against Article 370, invoking the spot in Pathankot where Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was arrested on his way to Jammu and Kashmir. 'If a BJP worker or leader takes any resolve, they also possess the strength to take it to fruition,' he said, drawing a parallel between the Article 370 abrogation in 2019 and the current anti-drug pledge.

Attack on Ravneet Singh Bittu's Convoy

The launch was preceded by a serious security incident: just hours before the flag-off, a convoy of senior BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was reportedly attacked while he was travelling to attend the event in Pathankot. Details of the attack were not immediately available, but the timing — on the day of a high-profile BJP campaign launch in a border state — drew sharp attention.

Scale and Reach of the Campaign

The 'Drug-Free Punjab Journey' is designed to cover the entire state over 13 days, traversing 4,000 km and touching all 117 Assembly constituencies. The concluding event, addressed by Home Minister Amit Shah in Jalandhar on 30 September, is expected to draw the campaign to a high-decibel close. This is among the most geographically ambitious campaign drives the BJP has undertaken in Punjab in recent years.

As the campaign gets under way, attention will turn to whether the BJP can convert grassroots outreach into electoral momentum in a state where it has historically struggled against both Congress and, more recently, AAP.