BJP makes Punjab’s drug crisis centrepiece of 2027 election campaign

The Bharatiya Janata Party has placed Punjab’s drug problem at the centre of its campaign ahead of the Assembly election expected in early 2027. The party began its Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatras on September 18. Four marches are travelling from different locations and are intended to cover all 117 Assembly constituencies before ending in Jalandhar on September 30, where Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to address a rally.

The BJP has historically struggled to establish itself in Punjab and is using the issue to seek a foothold in the border State. In March, Shah promised at a rally in Moga that a BJP government would free Punjab from drugs within two years. The campaign comes after repeated pledges by successive governments failed to end the problem.

Congress leader Captain Amarinder Singh promised before the 2017 election to eradicate drugs within four weeks of taking office. The Aam Aadmi Party made a similar promise before the 2022 election, saying it would act within four months. The Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP also faced criticism over the issue while governing Punjab together from 2007 to 2017.

The BJP now links drug addiction to law-and-order concerns and uses the issue to challenge the AAP government. The article cites a 2017 study by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research that estimated about one in every 87 people was dependent on drugs, while health and social surveys have placed the number of opioid-dependent people between 100,000 and 270,000. The AAP is campaigning on welfare measures including free electricity, cash support for adult women and free treatment, but the BJP argues such benefits cannot compensate families affected by addiction.