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Preparations for the 2027 assembly elections have intensified in Punjab politics and a new political pattern is visible before this election. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had won big in 2022 by fighting the elections on the issues of education, health, power, corruption and change, is now openly batting on religious and cultural issues. Under this strategy, the party is paying special attention to Hindu voters. In the last two years, the party's efforts to increase its reach among Hindu voters have become more evident. On the other hand, the party is now taking many decisions on Sikh religious issues also.

All the political parties are making their strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab and it is being discussed that the Aam Aadmi Party wants to contest this election on religious issues along with the work of its government. Bharatiya Janata Party is doing this kind of politics across the country in which on one hand the party talks about the development work of the government and on the other hand it works on religious issues. Due to this, BJP is continuously getting success.

Why is Hindu vote important in Punjab?

Before understanding the strategy of Aam Aadmi Party to reach out to Hindu voters in Punjab, it is important to understand the role of Hindu voters in Punjab elections. Even though Punjab is a Sikh majority state, there is about 39 percent Hindu population in this state. According to the 2011 census, Sikhs constituted about 57.7 percent of Punjab's population and Hindus about 38.5 percent. The special thing is that a large part of the Hindu population is in urban Punjab which includes areas like Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Pathankot and Hoshiarpur. Bharatiya Janata Party is also strong in these areas.

BJP has been strong in this category for the last several years and in recent years has tried to strengthen its hold even more. BJP could not win a single seat in Punjab in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but its vote share increased from about 9 percent in 2019 to about 18 percent. BJP's performance was especially strong among urban and upper caste Hindu voters and after this BJP is now preparing for the 2027 assembly elections. In such a situation, Aam Aadmi Party is also eyeing this vote bank.

AAP came to power in Punjab in 2022 with 92 seats and now wants to repeat its government in 2027. In such a situation, if a large part of Hindu votes goes towards BJP then the challenge for AAP in urban seats may increase. This is the reason why the party has taken steps towards direct dialogue with the Hindu society.

What did AAP do on Hindu religious issues?

Bhagwant Mann government has started the Chief Minister Teerth Yatra Scheme. Under this scheme, people of Punjab were given government facilities to visit religious places. Initially it included religious places like Sri Darbar Sahib, Durgiana Temple, Valmiki Tirtha and Sri Anandpur Sahib. Later it expanded to include major Hindu pilgrimage sites like Haridwar-Rishikesh, Mathura-Vrindavan and Salasar-Khatu Shyam.

While announcing the expansion of this scheme in 2026, AAP talked about providing pilgrimage to about 1.5 lakh devotees through new yatras. According to the government, the government will also bear the expenses of travel, accommodation and food. That means it is not just Hindu outreach but it also includes Sikh religious places. The addition of new Hindu shrines comes at a time when the 2027 elections are around the corner, hence its political significance increases.

AAP has also put forward a plan to redevelop the historic Kali Mata temple of Patiala. In June 2026, Arvind Kejriwal told that about Rs 80 crore is being spent on the redevelopment of the temple.
The biggest and most talked about move of AAP's Hindu outreach is the announcement of building a grand temple dedicated to Mata Sita and Luv-Kush at Ram Tirtha in Amritsar.

In June 2026, Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also organized 'Ek Sham in the Name of Lord Shiva' program. The expenses of this program were borne by the Punjab Government and it was organized especially in the cities.

The AAP government has also announced free staging of the play 'Hamara Ram' based on Ramayana in Punjab. According to the government, a plan was made to organize about 40 free shows in different cities.

In 2025, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann talked about bringing Hindu Temple Act in Punjab. The logic behind this was to resolve old disputes to the management of temples and government interference.

In November 2024, AAP made Aman Arora the Punjab State President in place of Bhagwant Mann. Arora is considered a prominent Hindu face in Punjab politics. This decision was taken at a time when BJP's vote share had increased rapidly in Punjab in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

keep an eye on sikhs also

The Bhagwant Mann government has also taken many important steps on issues to religious sentiments and institutions of the Sikh community in Punjab. In 2023, the Punjab Assembly tried to pave the way for free broadcast of Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib by amending the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925. However, the AAP government and SGPC came face to face on this issue. SGPC raised questions on government interference in religious matters. Therefore, this decision was both a Sikh outreach for AAP and also led to conflict with Sikh institutions.

In 2026, the Bhagwant Mann government amended the sacrilege law. The purpose of the law is to make more stringent legal provisions for crimes to desecration of the idol of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. However, the party is on the backfoot after clashing with Akal Takht on this issue also.

Changed strategy after 2024?

AAP had presented itself as an alternative to traditional religious politics when it came to power in 2022 but after four years of rule, the biggest challenge before the party is to maintain its 2022 social alliance. AAP did not get success in Punjab in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and BJP increased its vote share significantly. After this, AAP's Hindu connect became increasingly visible in 2025-26. This is why political analysts have linked temples, pilgrimages, Sanatan Seva Samiti and the appointment of Aman Arora to the 2027 strategy.