Like 3rd term in Haryana, BJP to spring a Punjab surprise in 2027, claims Saini

Chandigarh: Striking a confident note ahead of the Punjab assembly elections due in Feb-March next year, Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would form the next govt in Punjab on its own, ruling out the possibility of any alliance in the state.Interacting with select media persons at his Chandigarh residence, Saini said he saw "no scope" for a tie-up in Punjab, asserting that people there were increasingly influenced by BJP policies and keen to vote for the saffron party. Drawing a parallel with Haryana, he recalled how many doubted BJP's prospects of returning to power for a third consecutive term, only to be proved wrong. "Many took my words lightly when I said last year that BJP would repeat in Haryana for the third time. But not only did we return, we came back with a full majority. Mark my words, BJP is coming to power in Punjab as well," Saini said.
The Haryana CM has made frequent visits to Punjab in recent months, often seen wearing a ‘pagri' (turban), a gesture that did not go unnoticed. He said these visits were purely on public invitation. "I am going only where people invite me," he said, adding that he would be attending the Maghi Mela in Punjab, where the BJP is holding an event for the first time.Taking a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab govt, Saini claimed that people in the state were "fed up with a ‘chutkula' (joke) cracking chief minister" and were now looking for development. "When people compare Haryana's development with Punjab, they feel BJP should be brought to power in Punjab too," he said.He contrasted central govt schemes with state initiatives, claiming that people in Punjab were finding more benefits i the Centre's Ayushman Bharat health scheme than in AAP's "mohalla clinics".Referring to his recent visit to Machiwara, Saini said residents there told him that earlier only former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal met people so closely, and now they saw similar outreach from the Haryana CM. "Punjab and Haryana were one state earlier. When I am in Punjab, it feels like I am visiting my home," he remarked.Saini claimed that BJP was gaining traction even in traditionally Panthic-dominated areas. He said he received strong support in villages of Tarn Taran and claimed that a large number of Nihang Sikhs were attending BJP events. "Around 600–700 Nihangs recently visited me at the CM residence. I was also invited to their sports event and will attend," he said, stressing that these visits were not politically motivated.On Haryana's municipal polls, Saini said elections in municipal corporations would be held on time, as per the decision of the state election commission. Speaking about the upcoming state budget, he said he was holding consultations across Haryana and would soon convene a meeting of all 90 MLAs and Haryana's MPs to seek their suggestions.