Senior BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh recently advocated a renewed alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls, arguing that there is “no other way” for the saffron party to form a government in the state.
State BJP leaders dismissed the comments as personal views, stating that any decision on alliances will be taken by the party’s central leadership.
The Punjab BJP’s official stand—repeated by working president Ashwani Sharma and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu—was that the party intends to contest all 117 seats in the 2027 Assembly elections on its own.
Amarinder Singh insists he is “totally fit and active” for the 2027 contest, sources suggest central BJP leaders may already have in mind a different plan for the politically sensitive border state, a key component of which may be BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bittu.
In fact, speculation around Bittu’s role intensified when last week he surprisingly supported the idea of parole for Amritpal Singh—the Khadoor Sahib MP and radical Sikh preacher detained under the National Security Act (NSA).
This was a major departure from his earlier criticism of Amritpal, whom he described as a threat to Punjab’s peace during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign. Amritpal Singh was arrested in April 2023 after a high-profile chase by Punjab Police on charges of promoting separatism, inciting violence, and disturbing public order.
Despite being detained under the NSA, he won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Khadoor Sahib as an Independent with four lakh plus votes, over two lakh more from his nearest rival.
Bittu accused the AAP-led Punjab government of delaying Amritpal’s parole plea, allowing him to attend parliamentary proceedings. Drawing a comparison with J&K Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, who attended sessions on interim bail despite terror-financing charges.
“If custody parole can be granted there, why not here? Who will speak for Khadoor Sahib,” he questioned.
Despite contesting unsuccessfully from Ludhiana in 2024 Lok Sabha elections Bittu was inducted in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government 3.0. He was later elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in August 2024 on a seat vacated by KC Venugopal, the term of which will expire in June 2026.
According to sources, Bittu is unlikely to get another term in the Rajya Sabha and may be moved back to Punjab well before the Assembly polls. Lacking a strong Sikh face, the BJP is counting on him to pull it up in the state where it has limited presence
Bittu has repeatedly insisted that the BJP will contest all 117 seats in 2027. His engagements in the state, including with farmer groups and events alongside senior leaders like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, have also been augmenting the buzz of a possible bigger role for him in the state.