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In a testament to his leadership, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again reposed its faith in Vijay Rupani, reappointing the former Gujarat Chief Minister as the prabhari (in-charge) for Punjab. Dr Narinder Singh will continue to support him as the co-in-charge. The decision, announced by BJP’s national president JP Nadda on Friday, comes amidst a reshuffling of state units following the recent Lok Sabha elections.
 
Their reappointment is particularly significant amidst reports of an impending shake-up in the BJP's state leadership. With the current state party president, Sunil Jakhar, nearing the end of his term on July 11, speculation is mounting about his successor. Top contenders for the position include former Minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, former MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon, and former MLA Fateh Jung Bajwa—all of whom are former Congress leaders.
 
The primary reason behind retaining Rupani and Dr Narinder in their positions is the saffron party’s performance in Punjab during the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. Although the party did not secure any seats, it witnessed a substantial increase in its vote share, which surged to 18.56 percent, up from the previous 9.63 percent. BJP, for the first time, had contested all seats in Punjab independently, and improved its performance as compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, when it contested only three seats in alliance with the SAD.
 
This remarkable growth places the BJP as the third major party in the state, following Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — pushing its old ally and Punjab’s lone regional party, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), to the fourth spot. In fact, BJP’s vote share was five percent higher than that of the SAD.
 
The party’s candidates also put up a strong fight, indicating a positive trend for future elections. Analysis revealed that the BJP has emerged as a formidable force in at least 35 segments dominated by Hindu, urban, and semi-urban voters — including Abohar, Balluana, Jalandhar Central, Jalandhar North, Rajpura, Dera Bassi, Patiala, and various segments in Ludhiana and Amritsar.
 
The saffron party also performed well in areas with a significant Hindu vote bank, such as Nabha, Batala, Gurdaspur, and Moga. Even in Sikh-dominated seats like Khadoor Sahib, considered a Panthic seat, BJP candidate Manjit Manna secured more votes than SAD candidates in Patti, Kapurthala, Sultanpur Lodhi, and Baba Bakala assembly constituencies.
 
In light of this, the BJP has decided to retain Vijay Rupani as the in-charge and Dr. Narinder Singh as the co-in-charge to continue their efforts in improving the party's performance and expanding its base in Punjab — keeping a strategic focus on the impending by-polls and the next state assembly elections.
 
Punjab is poised for a series of electoral challenges. On July 10, Jalandhar West Assembly by-election is scheduled, which will be followed by by-elections in four more assembly constituencies — Chabbewal, Dera Baba Nanak, Banrala, and Gidderbaha. Although the dates for these by-elections are yet to be announced, they are anticipated with great interest.
 
The by-elections are necessitated due to the election of current MLAs to parliamentary positions. For instance, Barnala’s MLA and former Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer has been elected as the MP from Sangrur. Similarly, Dera Baba Nanak’s MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa is now the MP from Gurdaspur, Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, previously the MLA from Chabbewal, has been elected as the MP from Hoshiarpur; while Punjab Congress president and former Cabinet Minister Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who was the MLA from Gidderbaha, is now the MP from Ludhiana.
 
Apart from these immediate electoral contests, Punjab will witness Panchayat and Municipal Corporation elections, followed by the 2027 assembly elections. BJP's enhanced vote share and increased political activity signal a rigorous and competitive future electoral landscape in Punjab.
 
By retaining Rupani and Dr Narinder, the BJP aims to capitalize on the momentum gained during the Lok Sabha elections.