Punjab is heading towards its 2027 Assembly elections amid two connected developments — political defections within the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and protests over the state's continuing drug crisis.
Three AAP legislators, Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, Chetan Singh Jouramajra and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at its headquarters in New Delhi on November 2. Their departure followed public criticism of the Bhagwant Mann-led government over issues including drug trafficking, law and order, unfulfilled election promises and governance.
The political developments come against the backdrop of protests in Mansa following the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota on October 13. His death has brought renewed attention to the drug trade, alleged local-level networks and the government's response to the problem.
The three legislators had faced disciplinary action from the AAP over alleged anti-party activities.
Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, who represents Sanaur, and Chetan Singh Jouramajra, the MLA from Samana, resigned from the party's primary membership on November 1. Their resignations came a day after AAP announced its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 Assembly elections. The party had also appointed new constituency in-charges in their constituencies, prompting speculation that they might not be renominated.
Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, the former IPS officer and MLA from Amritsar North, had been suspended from the AAP for five years in June 2025. The disciplinary action followed his public criticism of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau's handling of the arrest of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
The three subsequently joined the BJP on November 2 in the presence of Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon and party in-charge Satish Poonia.
The legislative status of the three, however, is different. The Punjab Assembly Speaker accepted the resignations of Pathanmajra and Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh on November 2, declaring their seats vacant. Jouramajra has not resigned as an MLA. The Speaker has initiated proceedings under the anti-defection provisions and sought his response by November 5.
The departing legislators have raised several issues against the Punjab government.
Jouramajra questioned the government's handling of the drug problem, referring to the killing of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa and the death by suicide of Gulzar Singh, a Dalit man from Sangrur. He also criticised the government over its alleged failure to fulfil the promise of minimum support price (MSP) for crops and raised concerns about teacher shortages in government schools.
Pathanmajra accused the AAP leadership in Delhi of exercising control over the Punjab government. He alleged that state ministers lacked the authority to independently approve government decisions.
Both leaders also questioned the government's record on employment, education, healthcare and public debt.
AAP, meanwhile, accused the BJP of inducting leaders who had been suspended or faced disciplinary action within their previous party. The ruling party has also defended its record on governance and its action against members accused of anti-party activities.
The defections followed AAP's announcement of its first list of 40 candidates on October 31. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been renominated from Dhuri. The party has begun its candidate selection process several months ahead of the election.
Parvinder Singh Jhota, an anti-drug activist from Mansa, was shot dead inside a medical store on October 13 during a confrontation with its owner, whom he had accused of selling addictive substances.
Jhota was reportedly livestreaming the confrontation on Facebook when he was shot.
His killing triggered protests in Mansa and other parts of Punjab. His family and supporters demanded an independent investigation and action against those allegedly involved in the drug trade.
On October 20, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the investigation into Jhota's murder would be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accepting the family's demand for a central agency probe.
During his visit to Mansa on October 20, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Jhota's family and assured them of a thorough investigation.
Shah also met the families of Bikramjit Singh, who was allegedly murdered in Gurdaspur, and Gulzar Singh from Sangrur, whose death by suicide had triggered allegations related to the drug trade.
The CBI subsequently registered the case at its Chandigarh unit and took over the investigation.
The protests have also raised broader demands for action against alleged drug trafficking networks and accountability from the state administration.
Punjab's drug crisis is not a recent political issue. Government surveys and crime records have documented the scale of substance use and drug-related offences in the state.
Two sets of data offer an indication of the problem.
1. Substance use among children and adults
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment's 2019 report, Magnitude of Substance Use in India, prepared by the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC) at AIIMS, estimated the scale of substance use across Indian states. The underlying survey was conducted in 2018.
According to the estimates for Punjab, more than 6.25 lakh children aged 10–17 were using various psychoactive substances. The estimated number of adult users aged 18–75 was over 63.6 lakh.
The substances covered included cannabis, opioids, sedatives, cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants and hallucinogens.
2. Drug-related cases and overdose deaths
The National Crime Records Bureau's 2024 data, reported in 2026, provides another picture of the problem.
Punjab recorded the highest number of drug trafficking cases in the country in 2024, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 3,219 cases and Rajasthan with 2,758.
The state also recorded 106 drug overdose deaths in 2024, compared with 89 in 2023.
Drug abuse has remained a major political issue in Punjab across successive governments. Parties have repeatedly promised to tackle trafficking networks, improve enforcement and expand rehabilitation facilities.
The AAP came to power in 2022 after winning 92 of the state's 117 Assembly seats. Its campaign included a promise to make Punjab drug-free.
However, the recent protests following Jhota's killing and the allegations raised by the departing legislators have brought the government's record back into political debate.
The BJP has made the drug issue a central part of its criticism of the Mann government. During his October 20 visit, Amit Shah accused the Punjab government of failing to protect those raising their voices against drug trafficking and called for stronger action against the networks involved.
The Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal have also criticised the state government's handling of the crisis.
For the AAP government, the issue now involves both public accountability over drug trafficking and internal political dissent. The departure of three legislators has added another dimension to the party's preparations for the next Assembly election.
Punjab has 117 Assembly constituencies, and the present Assembly's five-year term ends on March 16, 2027. The Election Commission has not yet announced the polling schedule.
The BJP's induction of three former AAP legislators, the AAP's early announcement of 40 candidates and the continuing protests over drug-related deaths have placed the issue of governance and public safety prominently in the run-up to the election.
The central question for the parties will be how they address the state's drug problem, including trafficking, access to treatment, rehabilitation and accountability for drug-related violence.
For now, the political contest is unfolding alongside protests in Mansa and demands for action against the drug networks operating in Punjab.