Ahead Of Punjab Polls, AAP's Organisational Overhaul Sparks Ticket Change Speculation

With less than seven months remaining before the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has begun reshuffling its organisational set-up across several constituencies, prompting speculation over the future of some sitting legislators.

As reported by The Indian Express,  the party has appointed new constituency in-charges and elevated other leaders alongside sitting MLAs, although it has not linked the exercise to ticket distribution.

One of the latest appointments is in Bathinda Rural, where retired Sub-Divisional Magistrate Gopal Singh has been named constituency in-charge. The constituency is represented by AAP MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta, who was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in an alleged bribery case in February 2023. He was granted bail in May and the trial is continuing.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Kotfatta said the appointment of constituency in-charges was a party decision and noted that this was the fourth such appointment in his constituency over the past three years. He maintained that the case against him was fabricated and said he had complete faith in the judicial process.

In Bathinda Urban, where Jagrup Singh Gill is the sitting MLA, Punjab Cricket Association president Amarjeet Mehta has emerged as a prominent organisational face. Gill had earlier criticised the party over ticket distribution during the local body elections, alleging that it had favoured Mehta.

Mehta's son, Padamjeet Mehta, later became Mayor of Bathinda after the AAP secured a majority in the Municipal Corporation. As reported, Amarjeet Mehta's prominence was evident during a roadshow in June alongside Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

Organisational Shake-Up 

A similar development has been reported in Sangrur, where Gurmail Singh Gharachon, the party's unsuccessful candidate in the 2022 Lok Sabha by-election, has become an influential figure despite the constituency being represented by MLA Narinder Kaur Bharaj. Party sources quoted by IE said Gharachon recently played an important role in local organisational matters.

In Samana, former Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) leader Surjit Singh Rakhra, who joined the AAP in May, has reportedly emerged as another centre of political activity alongside sitting MLA Chetan Singh Jauramajra, with local workers speaking of parallel organisational structures.

According to report, Patiala Rural has also witnessed signs of political jockeying after Deputy Mayor Jagdeep Jagga put up posters projecting himself as a prospective Assembly candidate, although the seat is currently represented by Health Minister Balbir Singh. Singh told the newspaper that he remained focused on his constituency and ministerial responsibilities and was not concerned by such developments.

In Malerkotla, Anwar Bhasod, who heads the Chief Minister's camp office in Dhuri, has installed public hoardings carrying political slogans despite the constituency being represented by MLA Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman. Residents quoted by the Indian Express cited civic concerns, including waterlogging and poor sanitation, while expressing reservations about the growing role of leaders from outside the constituency.

Earlier this year, the party appointed Hoshiarpur MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal as constituency in-charge for Phagwara, replacing Harnoor Singh Mann, who unsuccessfully contested the 2022 Assembly election. Chabbewal told The Indian Express that the move was aimed at strengthening the organisation after the AAP failed to win a single Assembly seat in Kapurthala district in 2022.

Party leaders, however, have played down speculation surrounding the appointments. As reported, one party insider said it was too early to link organisational changes with candidate selection, noting that several aspirants usually emerge before an election.

Another senior leader said while appointing constituency in-charges was a routine organisational exercise, the growing poster campaigns by aspiring candidates risked sending a message that differences existed within the party.

The report added that the AAP has also begun constituency-level surveys to gauge the popularity of its leaders and identify seats where the organisation believes it needs to strengthen its position before the 2027 Assembly elections.

Battle For Punjab

Punjab is emerging as one of the most unpredictable political battlegrounds ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) all preparing for a high-stakes contest.

The five-year term of the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government will end in February 2027. Ahead of the polls, Punjab politics has already begun heating up, with the Opposition targeting the government over the anti-sacrilege law, the Congress battling internal divisions, the BJP trying to expand its footprint and the SAD looking to reclaim lost ground.

In 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party formed its first government in Punjab after winning 92 of the 117 Assembly seats. The Congress, led by Charanjit Singh Channi, was reduced to 18 seats. The Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD won just three seats, continuing its decline, while the BJP, contesting on its own, managed only two seats. 

Do-Or-Die Battle For AAP

For AAP, the Punjab election is no longer just another state contest. After losing power in Delhi, Punjab remains the only state governed by the party, making the 2027 election a crucial battle for its national relevance.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is expected to face anti-incumbency, but the party will hope to counter it through its welfare schemes and organisational strength. AAP’s performance in the recent civic polls has also boosted its confidence. The party won 958 of the total 1,977 wards, staying far ahead of the Congress, which won 397 wards. The SAD secured 192 wards, while the BJP won 172.

Mann has also sought to strengthen his position through welfare measures, including direct financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to women from general categories and Rs 1,500 per month to women from Scheduled Tribe categories from July 1 this year.

However, the Chief Minister now finds himself on the back foot over a sacrilege video controversy. The video, which purportedly shows a man resembling Mann involved in an objectionable act near photographs of Sikh Gurus, has triggered a religious and political storm in the state. The Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs, has declared Mann “Guru Dokhi” and “Khalsa Panth Virodhi”.

Mann has maintained that the video is manipulated and has been selectively used for political purposes.

The controversy deepened after the Akal Takht asked the Punjab government to amend the recently passed Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, also known as the anti-sacrilege law, arguing that it was passed without adequate consultation with Sikh religious institutions.

The Akal Takht has objected to the provision of a legally designated custodian, saying such a move could discourage devotees and religious volunteers from performing seva. It has also opposed the requirement for the SGPC to maintain a central register and assign a unique identification number to every copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, arguing that this undermines the sanctity of the scripture and interferes with matters under Sikh religious authority.

How Mann navigates these challenges will be crucial to whether AAP can retain its position in Punjab and remain relevant in national politics.