Tarn Taran bypoll:BJP struggles to gain foothold in rural Punjab

This was the BJP’s second independent contest in Tarn Taran after it parted ways with its long-time alliance partner SAD

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) performance in the Tarn Taran assembly byelection — securing only 6,229 votes and finishing fifth — underlines the party’s continued struggle to gain a foothold in Punjab’s Panthic-dominated regions.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar framed the result as a reminder to intensify grassroots communication about central welfare schemes (HT File)

Despite raising expectations internally, the BJP fell far short of its 10,000-vote target, signalling that its organisational outreach and messaging still face deep resistance in rural Sikh-majority constituencies.

This was the BJP’s second independent contest in Tarn Taran after it parted ways with its long-time alliance partner Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in 2020. Though the party improved on the 1,176 votes it polled in 2022, the growth remained modest, especially considering the high-profile campaign that featured Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and her Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini.

Party insiders acknowledge that external factors — particularly the Panjab University senate row, which opponents used to brand the BJP as “anti-Punjab” — further eroded its appeal among Panthic voters. The episode reinforced long-standing perceptions the BJP has been trying to counter in the state.

Still, some BJP leaders see a silver lining: The party’s ability to mark its presence in virtually every booth of a constituency where it has historically had negligible influence. For them, Tarn Taran offered organisational exposure and visibility — incremental steps in the long-term project of rebuilding the BJP in Punjab.