Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon is likely to contest the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections from Ludhiana North, according to reports suggesting that an internal party assessment has identified the constituency as a safe seat for him. However, the party has not officially announced his candidature.
Speculation about Dhillon's possible entry into Ludhiana North has increased following his frequent visits to the city to meet BJP workers and local leaders. Hoardings carrying his name have appeared at several locations in the constituency. Local BJP leaders have also put up greeting posters featuring Dhillon.
Unconfirmed reports further suggest that Dhillon has secured a place in the Civil Lines area of Ludhiana North for political activities.
According to party sources, fielding the state president from Ludhiana North could strengthen the BJP's position not only in this constituency but across all 14 Assembly segments of Ludhiana district. These include six urban seats: Ludhiana North, Ludhiana West, Ludhiana East, Atam Nagar, Ludhiana South and Ludhiana Central.
The BJP's assessment is reportedly based on the party's voting performance in the constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party had secured a lead in Ludhiana North, which has strengthened its confidence in the seat.
Party leaders also believe that Ludhiana's position as Punjab's major industrial and commercial centre could work in Dhillon's favour. His candidature may help the BJP connect with industrialists, traders and business groups, who could benefit from having direct access to the Centre through the state party leadership.
Dhillon's possible candidature comes at a time when several senior BJP leaders are already active in Ludhiana North and are reportedly seeking the party ticket. These include Punjab BJP general secretary Anil Sarin, Parveen Bansal, Narinder Singh Malli and Mahesh Dutt Sharma.
The party has faced internal differences in the constituency in previous elections and has lost the seat despite securing a considerable vote share. Fielding the state president is being viewed as a possible way to bring different factions together.
There have also been rumours that former Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu could contest from Ludhiana North. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bittu secured 53,725 votes from this Assembly segment, while Congress candidate Amarinder Singh Raja Warring received 31,415 votes.
The BJP's performance in previous Assembly elections also shows that it has maintained a significant voter base in the constituency. In 2012, party candidate Parveen Bansal received 46,048 votes but lost by 2,168 votes. In 2017, he secured 39,732 votes and lost by 5,132 votes. In 2022, his vote count stood at 35,822, while the defeat margin increased to 15,282 votes.
Although Dhillon has traditionally been associated with Barnala politics, his electoral record has seen both victories and defeats. He won the Barnala Assembly seat in 2007 and 2012 while representing the Congress.
However, after 2012, he faced consecutive electoral setbacks. In the 2017 Assembly elections, he lost to AAP candidate Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer by 2,432 votes. Contesting on a BJP ticket in the 2024 Barnala Assembly by-election, Dhillon finished third with 17,958 votes.
Ludhiana North has previously been represented by prominent leaders from both the BJP and Congress. Former BJP leader Harish Bedi won the constituency, while Congress veteran Rakesh Pandey was elected MLA from the seat seven times.
With the 2027 Assembly elections approaching, Dhillon's possible shift from Barnala to Ludhiana North could become an important development in the BJP's Punjab election strategy. However, his final constituency will depend on the party's official decision.
