BJP’s Big Bet in Punjab: Flood Relief Now, Votes in 2027?

Date: September 7, 2025

Punjab is under water. The state has seen its worst floods in decades. Crops, homes, and roads have been destroyed. Entire villages are cut off. Thousands of families are in relief camps.

While people struggle to survive, politics is also heating up. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stepped into the crisis with a new energy. Its leaders are working on the ground. Its workers are distributing aid. The party’s message is clear — “We are here for Punjab.”

But observers believe there is another side. With the Punjab Assembly elections due in 2027, the BJP is also trying to change its political image in the state. It wants to be seen not just as a Delhi-based party, but as a caring force for Punjab’s people.

Flood Fury in Punjab

The floods have hit all 23 districts of Punjab. Government reports say more than three to four lakh people are affected. Crops in hundreds of thousands of acres are damaged. Farmers have lost their main source of income. Houses have collapsed. Schools and health centres are closed in badly affected areas.

Experts say unchecked illegal mining and weak embankments worsened the disaster. Rivers breached their banks. Entire belts in Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, and Patiala remain under water. Roads are cut off, making rescue work slower.

For people in rural Punjab, the flood feels like a repeat of old neglect. They blame both the state and the Centre for not building proper flood defenses earlier.

BJP Swings Into Action

In the middle of this crisis, the BJP has launched a flood relief campaign. District in-charges have been appointed. Leaders like Som Prakash, Swati Maliwal, Surjit Jyani, and others are now handling local operations. They are visiting camps, monitoring relief, and speaking to victims.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan toured flood-hit areas. He pointed to illegal mining as a reason behind the disaster. He asked the Punjab government to strengthen embankments and take flood prevention seriously. He also promised that the Centre will stand by the people of Punjab.

BJP president J.P. Nadda assured state leaders that the Centre will send help. He asked the party to make relief operations visible on the ground. Party cadres are distributing food, medicines, clothes, and arranging temporary shelters.

This sudden burst of activity is being seen as a shift in the BJP’s Punjab strategy. After the farmers’ protest of 2020-21, the BJP’s support in the state had collapsed. Now, with the floods as a backdrop, the party wants to rebuild trust.

Criticism and Counter-Criticism

Not everyone is convinced by the BJP’s flood relief push. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab has accused the BJP of doing politics over people’s suffering. AAP leaders have said that BJP leaders are focusing on photo-ops instead of giving real money or resources.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has demanded a huge relief package. He asked the Centre to release ₹60,000 crore pending dues. He also called for higher compensation for farmers — ₹50,000 per acre instead of the current ₹6,800 per acre. The CM said small farmers cannot survive on such small help when their entire crop is lost.

The Congress, too, has attacked the BJP. It said the Centre was slow to respond and is using the floods as a chance to do politics in Punjab. Some leaders demanded an independent probe into how the embankments were allowed to weaken.

Even inside the BJP, there has been dissent. A party spokesperson in Punjab quit, saying the Centre had ignored Punjab’s pain for too long.

Relief Beyond Politics

Amid all the political heat, ordinary people and institutions are also working hard. Local farmers and MGNREGA workers are reinforcing embankments with mud and sandbags. Ironically, many of these workers have not been paid pending wages for months. Reports say nearly ₹7 crore is due in some districts. Yet they continue to defend their villages from the water.

Universities, NGOs, and religious groups are helping. Panjab University has sent rations, medicines, tarpaulins, and mosquito nets to Amritsar and nearby areas. They started their drive on August 28 and even created a special relief fund. Sikh gurudwaras and community kitchens are feeding thousands of people daily.

Why It Matters Politically

The floods have come as both a challenge and an opportunity for the BJP. For the ruling AAP, the disaster is a test of governance. For the BJP, it is a chance to show that it cares for Punjab, despite its weak base in the state.

The BJP has long been seen as an outsider in Punjab politics. After the break with the Shiromani Akali Dal, it has no major ally. The farmer protests damaged its standing further. But now, by being present on the ground during the floods, it hopes to rebuild its lost image.

The party is trying to project itself as more human and service-oriented. If it can win people’s trust through relief work, it may use that goodwill in the 2027 Assembly elections.

The Road Ahead

Right now, flood relief and rehabilitation remain the top priority. Rebuilding homes, compensating farmers, and repairing roads will take months, if not years. The Centre and the state will have to work together.

But in the background, politics is shaping every action. AAP wants to show it is fighting for Punjab’s rights. Congress wants to corner both AAP and BJP. The BJP wants to prove it is no longer a Delhi-only party but one that listens to Punjab’s pain.

Whether people see BJP’s flood relief as genuine concern or a poll strategy is still unclear. But one thing is certain: the floods have opened a new chapter in Punjab’s politics. With 2027 in sight, the BJP has placed its first big bet — and that bet is built on flood relief.