Opposition attacks BJP over Kewal Singh Dhillon's appointment as Punjab party chief; CM Mann calls him "defeated leader"

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], May 28 (ANI): The appointment of Kewal Singh Dhillon as the new Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president on Thursday triggered a sharp political war of words in the state, with leaders from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and BJP trading barbs over the move.
The newly appointed state chief, Kewal Singh Dhillon, asserted that the party would form the next government in the state in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

Kewal Singh Dhillon is a former Congress leader who served as a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly (2012-17) for the constituency of Barnala. Dhillon joined the BJP on June 4, 2022.
Taking a jibe at the BJP after the appointment of Dhillon as the new state BJP president, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the party has rewarded a "defeated leader" while taking a dig at several senior leaders in the state unit.
He launched a sharp attack on Dhillon, referring to his repeated electoral defeats and extending "sympathies" to senior BJP leaders, including Sunil Jakhar and Ravneet Singh Bittu, over what he termed as "humiliation
In a post on X, Mann said, "Congratulations to Congress-turned-BJP leader Kewal Singh Dhillon, who was defeated by the people of Barnala in 2017, 2019, and 2024, on becoming the BJP president. Heartfelt sympathies to Sunil Jakhar. May God give strength to Ravneet Bittu, Manpreet Badal, Fatehjang Bajwa, Tarun Chugh, and Ashwani Sharma to bear this humiliation."

Reacting to the development, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Baltej Pannu termed it an internal matter of the BJP but also referred to internal dynamics within the party. "It is, of course, an internal matter for the BJP as to whom they choose to entrust with responsibility... However, there are some points like the issue of Sunil Jakhar, who had left the Congress party, stating a community-based issue... Ravneet Singh Bittu, too, was seeking a position of responsibility, but today, he too stands disappointed," Pannu told ANI.

Meanwhile, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also attacked the BJP over the appointment, claiming it reflected the party's weakened position in Punjab politics.
Sharing a post on X, Kejriwal said, "By merely declaring Dhillon Ji as the state president, the BJP has effectively announced its surrender in the Punjab elections."

He further added, "The BJP's election campaign in Punjab will now be limited solely to ED and CBI raids. And from the last few raids, the BJP has already seen that Punjabis aren't scared of these petty little raids."

Commenting on the development, Congress MP Manish Tewari also said that Punjab can only find former Congressmen to appoint as State Presidents. "It is a telling comment of the State of @BJP4India in Punjab that they can only find former Congressmen to appoint as State Presidents," he wrote on X.

Responding sarcastically to Tewari's post, BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh added that there is no place for men of calibre in the Indian National Congress (INC). He wrote, "& it's a known fact that there is no place for men with calibre in @INCIndia"

In a follow-up post, Tewari replied, "Thank you for candidly acknowledging that Congressmen, current or former, have calibre. My heartiest congratulations to @KewalDhillonPB @blsanthosh"
Punjab Congress president and MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also attacked the BJP, alleging organisational weakness in the state. He said the party was "DAYDREAMING" about forming a government in Punjab and had failed to find leadership from within its own ranks.
"The BJP appointing Kewal Dhillon as BJP Punjab president speaks for itself about the state of the party in Punjab. The party that is 'DAYDREAMING' about forming the government in Punjab cannot find anyone worthy from its own stable to lead the state. The party is left with no option but to outsource even its state presidents second in a row. First, it was Sunil Kjakhar and now Mr Kewal Singh Dhillon, both from the Congress," the statement read.

The appointment of Kewal Singh Dhillon has triggered a fresh political exchange in Punjab, with the AAP targeting the BJP after they appointed 4 new state presidents ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. State Legislative Assembly elections are expected to be held in February 2027 to elect all 117 members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly.
The appointments were finalised under the leadership of the party's national president Nitin Nabin.

Earlier today, Newly-appointed Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon outlined an ambitious vision for the state's farmers and youth while asserting that the party will emerge victorious in the 2027 Assembly elections.
Speaking to ANI, Dhillon said, "We have to work to make Punjab the best state in the world. We will work for the welfare of farmers and employ the youth.BJP will form the next government in Punjab"BJP national president Nitin Nabin has appointed Kewal Singh Dhillon as the new president of the party's Punjab unit, succeeding Sunil Jakhar.
Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also congratulated Dhillion on the new role. "Wishing him great success in strengthening the party across Punjab," he said in an X post.
Along with Dhillon, the BJP also appointed new party state unit presidents for Delhi, Tripura and Haryana.
Archana Gupta has been named the President of the BJP's Haryana unit, while Union Minister of State (MoS) Harsh Malhotra has become the President of the BJP's Delhi state unit.
Newly appointed Haryana BJP State President, Archana Gupta, thanked the top BJP leadership for their trust and asserted that her priority will be to strengthen the organisation further, bring communal harmony and ensure greater participation of women in politics and the economy.
"Women's empowerment will remain a key focus. When the Prime Minister introduced the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, other political parties opposed it. Women saw clearly which party supported them and which opposed them. In Bengal, people have already given a strong reply to TMC. Women will stand firmly with the BJP, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of Haryana," she told ANI.
Additionally, the party has appointed Abhishek Debroy to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party's Tripura State Unit. Abhishek Debroy has been a member of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, representing the Matabari constituency, since winning his seat in the 2023 assembly elections as a BJP candidate.
Harsh Malhotra is a prominent BJP leader in Delhi who currently serves as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha for the East Delhi constituency (elected in 2024). He is also the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. (ANI)