Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Monday made his first visit to Punjab after leaving AAP in April and joining BJP and his presence at a key BJP strategy meeting in Ludhiana has sparked political discussions about the role he could play in run-up to upcoming Punjab Assembly elections that can happen anytime between late 2026 to early 2027.
The meeting was chaired by BJP National President Nitin Navin and focused on preparing party's strategy for the next Assembly polls which Chadha attended with Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta who also switched from AAP to BJP earlier this year and according to party sources Nitin Navin asked leaders and MPs to strengthen the party at grassroots level and sources present at the meeting said that newly joined MPs could be given important organisational and election-related responsibilities in Punjab.
Political observers say Chadha is not a new face in Punjab politics and during 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, he was among the most visible AAP leaders in the state and played a major role in the party's campaign and along with AAP leader Sandeep Pathak (who has now joined BJP) was considered one of party's key strategists and was closely involved in election planning and coordination. At Monday's meeting Chadha was seen on the main stage with senior BJP leaders a move that many political watchers view as a sign that the party is giving him significant importance.
His experience with AAP is also being closely watched. Having worked as one of the party's senior leaders, Chadha is familiar with its organisation, leadership structure and election strategy in Punjab. Political analysts believe this knowledge could be useful for BJP as it tries to expand its base in the state.
There is also speculation within political circles that Chadha could play a role in strengthening BJP's organisation after September when the AAP government in Punjab completes around four and a half years in office and party insiders have suggested that BJP may increase its political outreach during this period however there is no official confirmation that Chadha has been assigned such a responsibility or that any AAP leaders will join BJP.
Some political observers also point to Chadha's working relationships with senior bureaucrats developed during his time in AAP and later and while such connections could help him understand administrative system better and get better hold on ground.
At the same time his growing importance is said to have created unease among some sections of BJP as according to party insiders a few long-time BJP leaders are unhappy with increasing prominence being given to leaders who joined from other parties instead of those who have worked for party for years. Chadha was among seven of ten AAP Rajya Sabha MPs who left the party and joined BJP in April and the others include Rajinder Gupta, Sandeep Pathak, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal and Vikramjit Sahney. Since two-thirds of AAP's Rajya Sabha members moved together they did not face disqualification under anti-defection law as provided under Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
With nearly a year left before political preparations for 2027 gather full momentum Chadha's return to Punjab has added a new dimension to state's political landscape and whether he emerges as a key BJP strategist or remains one of several campaign faces will become clearer in coming months.
