BJP's Punjab President Sunil Jakhar Is A Jat Hindu Leader With A Congress Background

In preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced the appointment of four new state presidents on Tuesday (4 July).

Sunil Jakhar, who joined BJP after leaving Congress in May last year, has been appointed as the new president of the Punjab party unit.

Jakhar, the former chief of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), succeeded Ashwani Sharma in his new role within the state BJP. Sharma had served as the party chief in the state for two consecutive terms.

The BJP's recognition of Jakhar's significance to their plans for Punjab was evident when he was included as a member of the BJP National Executive in December of the same year, alongside former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

The BJP had been struggling in Punjab after its two-decade-long alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Sukhbir Badal ended in September 2020 due to the now-repealed three contentious farm laws.

Despite contesting the 2022 elections in an alliance with Captain Amarinder's then-Punjab Lok Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) led by Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, the party only managed to secure two seats out of the 117-member Punjab Assembly.

With Jakhar now leading the state BJP, the party aims to expand its support base in Punjab, where it had long played second fiddle to the SAD. However, rumours suggest that BJP and SAD may come together before the 2024 elections.

Jakhar, a Jat Hindu leader with a lengthy political career, has established connections with various communities and appears to fit the BJP's agenda of broadening its support base in the Sikh-majority state, which also has a significant Dalit population.

Known for his forceful and logical articulation while maintaining decorum, Jakhar is a seasoned leader in Punjab politics. He comes from a family who had decades of association with the Congress.

Jakhar's father, Balram Jakhar, a four-time MP and two-time MLA, served as the longest-serving Lok Sabha Speaker and remained a staunch loyalist of the Gandhi family.

Sunil Jakhar himself was first elected to the Punjab Assembly in 2002 as a Congress candidate from the family stronghold of Abohar. Although initially considered a "reluctant politician," he quickly adapted to the political landscape.

He won elections from his constituency in 2007 and 2012 as well. During the SAD-BJP alliance government's second term, Jakhar served as the Leader of the Opposition from 2012 to 2015.

Although he lost the Assembly election in 2017, Jakhar was appointed as the PPCC chief the same year. He later won the Gurdaspur parliamentary by-election following the passing of sitting BJP MP Vinod Khanna.

However, he was defeated by the BJP's Sunny Deol in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In 2021, Jakhar was replaced by Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Punjab Congress chief.

In May 2022, he joined the BJP after expressing displeasure with the Congress high command for issuing him a show-cause notice regarding alleged anti-Dalit remarks, which he denied.

The reactions

Jakhar's appointment has not been without controversy within the Punjab BJP. Former party MLA from Abohar, Arun Narang, who ended Jakhar's winning streak by defeating him in the 2017 elections, opposed his elevation.

Narang claimed that BJP leaders who faced the brunt of the farm agitation were ignored, while a leader who had "remained a big face of Congress" was appointed as the state party chief.

Despite his opposition, Narang clarified that he would continue to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party as a normal party worker.

Jakhar expressed his gratitude to PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and party national president JP Nadda for entrusting him with the important responsibility of Punjab BJP president. He pledged to work tirelessly to safeguard Punjab's interests and fulfill the aspirations of every Punjabi.

In a tweet, he attached a photo showing himself and Modi interacting during the opening of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November 2019.

Former CM Captain Amarinder Singh in a tweet said, “My heartiest congratulations to @sunilkjakhar on being appointed as the new president of @BJP4Punjab.”

Responding to Jakhar's appointment as the Punjab BJP president, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring stated that the decision had been made about a year and a half ago, even though the official announcement was made recently.

Warring commented on Jakhar's departure from the Congress, emphasizing that the party had shown respect to the Jakhar family over the past 50 years. He expressed disappointment that Jakhar had left the party for minor political gains after being appointed the state president, despite losing the assembly election on his home turf.

Warring also made a playful remark about the discomfort it might cause other BJP leaders in the state, as someone who learned the nuances of politics from the Congress and joined the BJP a year and a half ago was now appointed as the state head.