BJP has appointed former Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon and a Jat Sikh as the new president of Punjab state unit and this is being seen as the party’s preparation for upcoming 2027 Assembly polls, and his appointment is seen as a vital strategy by the party to improve its position in Punjab.
Kewal Singh Dhillon is a veteran party leader belonging to the Malwa region and an associate of former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh. He has been entrusted with an important role in Punjab politics and here are 5 main reasons why BJP selected Kewal Singh Dhillon as the party’s president in Punjab.
One of the biggest reasons behind Dhillon’s appointment is BJP’s attempt to strengthen its reach among Punjab’s influential Jat Sikh community and in Punjab politics Dalit community forms the largest vote bank however political experts believe Dalit votes often get divided among different parties and on the other hand the Jat Sikh community is considered the most politically influential group in state and plays a major role in deciding election outcomes.
BJP has traditionally struggled to make deep inroads into this vote bank and by appointing a Jat Sikh leader as state president the party is trying to send a message that Sikh leadership is being given importance inside BJP as Kewal Singh Dhillon himself belongs to Jat-Sikh community and has a strong political background in Punjab’s rural belt.
Another big factor is the importance of Punjab’s Malwa region as Malwa is the biggest political region in Punjab and has 69 out of state’s 117 Assembly seats and political observers often say that road to power in Punjab passes through Malwa and Kewal Singh Dhillon comes from Barnala district which falls in Malwa belt and he has been politically active in the region for more than two decades and has a strong local network as well.
BJP is hoping that Dhillon’s presence can help the party improve its position in rural Punjab and especially in Malwa where Aam Aadmi Party swept 2022 elections by winning 62 out of 69 seats. The Jat Sikh community also has a strong influence in Majha region making Dhillon’s appointment politically important beyond Malwa as well.
BJP has faced criticism in Punjab since farmers’ protest against the now repealed three farm laws and during the protests many farmers and Sikh groups accused BJP led Centre of ignoring Punjab’s concerns.
Even after the laws were withdrawn the party continued to face anger in many rural areas of state and political experts believe BJP now wants to soften that image before 2027 elections and by appointing a Sikh leader with a rural and agricultural background the party is trying to reconnect with farmers and rural voters.
Kewal Singh Dhillon’s image as a grounded leader from Punjab’s heartland may help BJP in rebuilding trust among sections of farming community.
Punjab Assembly elections are less than a year away and BJP believes a Sikh face was necessary to lead the state unit during this politically sensitive period and before Dhillon’s appointment the Punjab BJP was led by Sunil Jakhar as state president and Ashwani Sharma as working president who were both Hindu faces so BJP did not want opposition parties to target it as a party dominated only by Hindu leadership in Punjab and by appointing Kewal Singh Dhillon the party is trying to show that Sikh leaders are being given key responsibilities and top positions.
Punjab politics is very deeply connected with Sikh identity and BJP leaders reportedly felt that appointing a Sikh president would send a strong message to voters ahead of Assembly elections.
According to party insiders BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh strongly supported the idea of appointing a Sikh face as state unit chief and sources also said that RSS Punjab in-charge Mantri Srinivaslu backed Dhillon’s name while Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini who has been actively participating in BJP programmes in Punjab had also reportedly supported the move.
Kewal Singh Dhillon is also considered a close confidante of former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and their long political association is expected to help BJP connect with sections of Congress supporters and leaders who were once aligned with Amarinder Singh.
Political observers believe this move could also help BJP attract former Congress supporters and leaders who still respect Amarinder Singh in Malwa region.
Born on May 16, 1950 in Tallewal village of Barnala district Kewal Singh Dhillon is known not only as a politician but also as a leading industrialist in Punjab and he heads Dhillon Group and is counted among wealthy political figures in the state.
Dhillon completed his early education in Barnala and studied till Class 12 and later during 1969-70 he pursued BA part-I studies at S.D. College, Barnala.
Dhillon has remained active in Punjab politics especially in Barnala for more than two decades and entered electoral politics with Congress and was elected as MLA from Barnala in 2007 and he again won Assembly election in 2012 with a good margin strengthening his position in region and along with this during his Congress years Dhillon also served as Senior Vice President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee however his political journey faced setbacks after he lost 2017 Punjab Assembly election to AAP leader Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and he later contested 2019 Sangrur Lok Sabha election but was defeated there as well.