Chandigarh: The BJP on Monday sought to strengthen its foothold in Punjab by inducting Major Bhupinder Singh Dhillon, cousin of late Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal and his political adviser for 25 years, along with his son Amarveer Singh Badal.Former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Parkash Singh Badal’s nephew and SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s cousin, is already in the BJP.The induction took place at Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini’s residence, Sant Kabir Kutir, in Chandigarh, in the presence of Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon.Amarveer, president of Sanaur municipal council, also joined the party. AAP’s Pradeep Joshon and several others were also inducted. The move assumes significance ahead of the 2027 assembly elections as the BJP seeks to expand beyond its traditional support base and build an independent political base in Punjab.Bhupinder’s entry gives the party a direct link to the Badal family and its longstanding political network.Saini projected the inductions as evidence of the BJP’s growing appeal in Punjab and claimed the party would form the next govt. He attacked the AAP and Congress, alleging their govts had failed to fulfil electoral promises.Saini also attacked Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann over his reported reference to the turban as “nakli”, calling it an insult to Sikh Gurus and demanding an apology to Punjab’s people.He said a BJP govt would create a favourable environment for industry and jobs, crack down on drugs and develop Punjab’s sporting ecosystem on the lines of Haryana.Bhupinder’s induction marks a symbolic entry for the BJP into the Akali legacy and underscores its strategy of drawing political figures and networks from the traditional SAD space into its own fold.
