The creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh paved the way for Punjab to stand up for justice and righteousness while fighting for the rights of the poor and the deprived. Punjabis suffered terrible atrocities over many decades at the hands of both Mughals and Afghans, but did not relent from the teachings of their Gurus.
In order to create sufficient strength for the fight against injustice, a tradition of giving one son from each family to the Khalsa took roots. With time, the Khalsa took complete responsibility for the security and governance of the Punjabi community and performed the duty with exemplary humility and spirit of sacrifice.
The tradition produced extraordinary leadership that defeated the Mughals and the Afghans and created the Sikh empire. For centuries now, the leadership in Punjab has remained the responsibility of the Sikhs and the Khalsa.
Punjab has mostly been steered by a single leader. The system started with Banda Bahadur and went on to the times of Nawab Kapoor Singh and Jassa Singh Ahluwalia. The Misl leaders created a loose confederacy, but the necessity of a single leader led to their amalgamation under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
In the democratic set-up of independent India, stable governments were formed in Punjab only when a Sikh leader was at the helm, as seen by the tenures of Partap Singh Kairon, Giani Zail Singh and Beant Singh.
Over the last almost three decades, Punjab has placed its faith in only two leaders: Parkash Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh. Their weaknesses led to a cyclic change in power, but in the absence of an alternative, they only ruled the state. The disenchantment with Parkash Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh as also their advancing age, created space that was cleverly filled by Bhagwant Singh Mann.
If Bhagwant Mann had ruled independently, then his mistakes could have been absorbed by the people. Sadly, he became a tool in the hands of outsiders like Arvind Kejriwal and his coterie. The people are not ready to forgive this error, and a repeat for him is highly unlikely.
Political parties in Doldrums
Punjab is once again searching for a leader. In the absence of good leadership, all parties are in doldrums. There is widespread dissatisfaction against AAP since it has been unable to deliver on its core promises or provide good leadership. There are instances where entire villages have already banned the entry of AAP MLAs and workers.
A big point of contention for the party is the declaration of the Land Pooling Policy, 2025. It seems that the party supremo, Arvind Kejriwal, misjudged the attachment that the Sikh farmers of Punjab have for their land and also the political consciousness of the people. Widespread resistance to the policy was witnessed in the form of massive agitations. Though the government has rescinded the policy, it continues to hang like a Damocles sword. Bhagwant Mann lost all credibility in the bargain.
Overall, AAP has lost out in the leadership battle because its central leadership has failed to understand the sentiments of the people and the tradition of the land.
The Congress has smelled an opportunity and has considerably mobilised its election campaign. Its disadvantage lies in the fact that it has no one tall enough to fill the shoes of Captain Amarinder Singh and take on the crucial leadership role. As a result, the party is ridden with factionalism.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is desperately trying to come out of the shadow of Prakash Singh Badal. The people are not convinced about handing over the leadership to Sukhbir Badal, who, in turn, is unwilling to leave control of the party and usher in democratic practices. The Catch-22 situation has reduced Akali politics to an all-time low.
The Giani Harpreet Singh-led group is the latest in the string of splits and mergers within the SAD that has further weakened due to the emergence of this breakaway faction. Though this new faction claims to be the “real” Akali Dal, it is not looked upon favorably by the people, and it definitely has no leader who can win the confidence of the people. Giani Harpreet Singh will soon understand that motivating people as a religious head is entirely different from gaining their confidence as a political leader.
The BJP is fast gaining ground. There is a sentiment in the region towards it since all other parties have been tried and they have failed to deliver. A few factors are pointing towards this growing strength.
In mid-July 2025, Ashwani Sharma, a sitting MLA from the BJP and former state president for two terms, was designated as the working state president of the party. This has propelled energy within the party cadre who had remained directionless and dormant for too long under Shri Sunil Jakhar.
The BJP has witnessed two big victories in the last few months. The first is the success of its strong campaign against the Land Pooling Policy, 2025. It has taken credit for the rescinding of the policy by the government and gained considerable credibility among the people.
The second is the victory of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) Presidential candidate, Gaurav Veer Singh Sohal, in the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) election. ABVP is the student wing of the BJP. An ABVP candidate has become President of PUSU for the first time in more than four decades. The winning candidate is a Jat Sikh. Student elections in Panjab University often indicate the mood and direction in which the political wind in Punjab is flowing.
The BJP too has been unable to project a strong Sikh face in the leadership role. This may take away the advantage that it has gained politically.
Enlightened voters of Punjab
It is normally said that the voters remain confused in the choice of their candidates and parties. This does not apply to Punjab, where the voters are very aware, politically conscious and decisive. Presently, they are deeply stressed due to the serial failure of the parties on whom they have placed their confidence over the last three decades. They are now closely watching the environment and will make a considered decision when the time comes.
There is a calculation being made on the benefits that can accrue from vote polarisation in Punjab. This is wholly misplaced. Political decisions in Punjab are not made in terms of religion or caste; they are oriented towards putting in place a leader who can steer the governance in a progressive and efficient manner.
The bottom line is that all parties are equally but badly placed for the forthcoming elections. The trust towards the AAP, Congress or SAD had not gravitated, and the decision to give a chance to the BJP has, as yet, not been firmed up.
The voters will place their bet on the party that can provide the best leadership. In this choice, the people will prefer to follow the longstanding tradition of placing their faith in a Sikh, preferably a Jat Sikh, to steer the state. It is so because they relate to such a leader more comfortably.
The people will also look for a strong, responsive, positive and well-organised government that has the capacity to steer the state out of the socio-economic mess that it finds itself in presently due to misgovernance over many decades and more so in the last few years under AAP. The choice in Punjab will be based on the classic principle of once bitten, twice shy.
