Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday, 4 May 2025, called upon the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Punjab to unite behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that their collective strength could determine who forms the next state government. Addressing an OBC community gathering in Ropar, Punjab, Saini declared that the BJP "works with everyone and gives equal representation to all sections of society."

Key Remarks at Ropar Rally

Saini used the platform to question the Punjab government's decision to hold a special Assembly session on International Labour Day, calling it a "mockery of workers" that reflected an "anti-poor mindset." He argued that the people of Punjab, who had handed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a strong mandate, are now feeling disillusioned with its performance in office.

Taking aim at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over a recently moved confidence motion, Saini demanded that Mann publicly account for how many pre-election promises his government has fulfilled. "The people of Punjab deserve an honest answer," Saini said, according to reports from the gathering.

OBC Outreach: Rights, Respect and Representation

Saini told the assembled crowd that the scale of OBC participation at the event signalled a community awakening. "This unity and energy will bring social and political change in the coming time," he said. He acknowledged that OBCs have a "proud history" of nation-building but argued that the community had long been denied adequate respect and opportunity in Punjab.

He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi — whom he described as belonging to the OBC community himself — with mainstreaming social justice through policy and intent. Saini cited the constitutional status granted to the OBC Commission and the introduction of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in medical and higher education as landmark steps under the Modi government.

BJP's OBC Record: The Numbers Cited

Saini underlined what he described as the BJP's track record of genuine OBC empowerment rather than mere vote-bank politics. He pointed to 27 OBC ministers in the Union Cabinet and OBC Chief Ministers in five BJP-ruled states as evidence of the party's commitment to the community. He urged OBC voters in Punjab to join the BJP, build the party at the grassroots level, and prepare for the upcoming state elections.

Political Context

The rally in Ropar is part of a broader BJP push to consolidate non-Jat, backward-class votes in Punjab ahead of the next assembly elections. The AAP swept to power in Punjab in 2022 with a historic majority, but the BJP — which had a marginal presence in the state — has been ramping up its outreach among communities it believes are underserved by the current government. Saini's appearance as a Haryana OBC leader addressing a Punjab audience is a deliberate signal of the party's cross-border mobilisation strategy.

With Punjab elections still some time away, Sunday's gathering marks an early but pointed escalation in the BJP's campaign to position itself as the primary alternative to AAP in the state.