JALANDHAR — Raising the pitch for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah delivered a sharp political assault on the governing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday, declaring that a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government would make the state entirely drug-free by December 31, 2029.
Addressing a high-octane rally in Jalandhar to mark the conclusion of the BJP’s state-wide “Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra,” Shah positioned the state’s crippling narcotics epidemic, fiscal mismanagement, and rural distress as the centerpiece of the opposition’s charge sheet against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
A Hard Target on the Narcotics Front
Reaching out directly to Punjab’s younger voters, Shah framed the anti-narcotics crusade as a matter of state survival rather than routine politics, alleging that the current administration had actively allowed illicit drug syndicates to flourish.
“I promise the youth of Punjab that if you vote for the BJP, we will make Punjab drug-free before December 31, 2029,” Shah asserted, pledging to pair aggressive law enforcement with broad-based job creation for the state’s youth.
Recounting emotional moments from the campaign trail, Shah spoke of meeting grieving mothers who had lost multiple children to substance abuse. He accused the Punjab government of complete administrative apathy, alleging it had failed to conduct a single anti-drug review meeting in three years while rejecting strategic anti-trafficking frameworks proposed by the Central government.
Broadside Over Corruption, Ad-Spends, and Revenue
Beyond the narcotics crisis, the Home Minister launched a wide-ranging attack on the Mann government’s governance record and financial management:
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Publicity Blitz: Shah accused the state of squandering ₹785 crore annually on self-aggrandizing advertisements and media campaigns across the country.
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Mining Loss: He pointed to declining revenue from state mining operations, citing unchecked illegal mining despite election-era promises to curb the mafia.
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Ethics Barbs: Highlighting the Delhi excise case, Shah argued that a party embroiled in liquor controversies possesses zero moral authority to address addiction in Punjab.
Farmer Outreach and Military Heritage
Seeking inroads into Punjab’s agrarian belt, Shah called out AAP for failing to guarantee Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 26 crops as promised. He contrasted this with neighboring Haryana, where state policy ensures MSP coverage across multiple crops, promising that the BJP would deliver a “permanent resolution” to rural grievances.
Closing his rally on a nationalistic note, Shah paid homage to Punjab’s deep military lineage and its soldiers serving on the frontlines:
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Border Defense: He lauded the sacrifices of Punjabi jawans in preserving national integrity throughout India’s history.
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Martial Tradition: Invoking the war cry “Jo Bole So Nihal,” Shah remarked that its thunderous echo along the borders continues to demoralize adversary forces across the frontier.
The Road to 2027
By committing to a strict December 31, 2029 deadline, the BJP has defined a clear quantitative goal for its campaign. The strategic focus on narcotics, law enforcement, and economic discipline is tailored to put the ruling AAP on the defensive as the political battle for 2027 gathers momentum.
