Political activity has intensified in Jalandhar North ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. From the Congress, the name of sitting MLA Avtar Singh Junior remains prominent, while former MLA K.D. Bhandari and Dinesh Dhall, who recently joined the BJP, are among the names being discussed in BJP circles. The Aam Aadmi Party appointed Mayor Vaneet Dhir as the Jalandhar North constituency in-charge in July 2026. However, no party has officially announced its candidate for the 2027 election so far.
Avtar Henry has remained a prominent political figure in Jalandhar North for decades. He won three consecutive elections in 1992, 1997 and 2002. His son, Avtar Singh Junior, subsequently won the seat for Congress in 2017 and 2022. His name is therefore among those being discussed for the 2027 Congress ticket, although the final decision rests with the party.
K.D. Bhandari has a significant electoral history in Jalandhar North, having won the seat in 2007 and 2012. In September 2026, former AAP constituency in-charge Dinesh Dhall joined the BJP. More than a dozen supporters also joined the BJP, including Municipal Corporation councillor Amit Dhall. Dhall had contested the 2022 Assembly election from Jalandhar North as an AAP candidate.
The Aam Aadmi Party changed its organisational arrangement in Jalandhar North on July 29, 2026, replacing Dinesh Dhall with Mayor Vaneet Dhir as the constituency in-charge. Dhall’s subsequent move to the BJP added another change to the political equations ahead of 2027. Vaneet Dhir is now handling AAP’s organisational activities in the constituency.
1992: Avtar Henry’s First Victory
In the 1992 Assembly election, Congress candidate Avtar Henry won the Jalandhar North seat. He secured 34,179 votes, while BJP candidate Vaid Om Prakash received 11,084 votes. Henry won by a margin of 23,095 votes.
1997: Henry Wins for the Second Consecutive Time
In 1997, Congress retained Jalandhar North, with Avtar Henry winning the seat for the second consecutive time. He received 33,893 votes, while BJP candidate Nawal Kishore secured 31,723 votes. Henry’s winning margin was 2,170 votes, making it a closely fought contest.
2002: Henry Completes a Hat-Trick
In 2002, Avtar Henry won the seat for Congress for the third consecutive time. He polled 41,856 votes, while BJP candidate Suresh Sehgal received 19,489 votes. Henry won by 22,367 votes.
2007: K.D. Bhandari Changes the Equation
The political equation changed in 2007 when BJP’s K.D. Bhandari defeated Congress candidate Avtar Henry. Bhandari received 45,579 votes, compared with Henry’s 40,650 votes. Bhandari won by 4,929 votes.
2012: Bhandari Wins for the Second Time
In 2012, K.D. Bhandari retained Jalandhar North for the second consecutive election. He received 52,198 votes, while Congress candidate Avtar Henry polled 50,495 votes. Bhandari won by a narrow margin of 1,703 votes. According to the election figures, the constituency recorded 1,16,262 valid votes.
2017: Avtar Singh Junior Returns Congress to Power
In 2017, Congress regained Jalandhar North with Avtar Singh Junior Henry defeating sitting BJP MLA K.D. Bhandari. Junior Henry secured 69,715 votes, while Bhandari received 37,424 votes. The Congress candidate won by 32,291 votes.
2022: Congress Retains the Seat in a Three-Way Contest
In 2022, Avtar Singh Junior won the seat again on the Congress ticket. He received 47,338 votes. BJP’s K.D. Bhandari finished second with 37,852 votes, while AAP candidate Dinesh Dhall received 32,685 votes and finished third. Henry’s winning margin was 9,486 votes.
The 2022 results showed a substantial vote base for Congress, BJP and AAP in Jalandhar North. However, the political landscape changed in 2026 after AAP changed its constituency in-charge and Dinesh Dhall subsequently joined the BJP.
Dinesh Dhall’s move to the BJP in September 2026 is the latest significant political development in Jalandhar North. Dhall contested the 2022 Assembly election from the constituency on an AAP ticket and later served as the party’s constituency in-charge. Following his move to the BJP, his name has also entered discussions around the party’s possible candidates for 2027, alongside K.D. Bhandari.
Jalandhar North has witnessed seven Assembly elections between 1992 and 2022. Congress won the seat five times — 1992, 1997, 2002, 2017 and 2022 — while the BJP won it twice, in 2007 and 2012.
Ahead of 2027, political activity is now centred around Congress’s Henry, the BJP’s K.D. Bhandari and Dinesh Dhall, and AAP’s Vaneet Dhir. The final candidates, however, have not yet been officially announced by the three parties.