Chandigarh, Feb 8 (IANS): As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday ended the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) 12-year rule in Delhi, Opposition parties adopted an aggressive momentum to crumble its last “fortress” in Punjab that will go to the polls in 2027.

Responding to the party’s victory in Delhi with several AAP heavyweights, including national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Saurabh Bhardwaj losing, BJP leader and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu took a jibe at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, saying “it’s his turn to back the bags”.

“Today the whole country is celebrating the victory of Delhi’s BJP workers... When the BJP comes to power in Punjab, no one will have to sell their house, property, or land to go abroad. Everyone will get work here. This is Narendra Modi's vision,” he said.

Bittu, a Congress rebel who belongs to Punjab, said state party chief Aman Arora may replace Bhagwant Mann as Chief Minister. “It was in the news as Aman Arora has said that when Manmohan Singh who belonged to Sikh community can become a PM, he can also become a CM being a Hindu. If he has said this, he is making a ground. Bhagwant Mann never went out,” the Union minister said.

Missing no opportunity to pay AAP in the same coin as it impacted Congress’ political dynamics in Haryana’s Assembly polls in October last year by not having any alliance despite anti-incumbency wave against the BJP, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa claimed on a news channel after AAP’s rout in the national capital that more than 30 AAP MLAs in Punjab are in touch with him.

The BJP in Punjab is still “headless” as its President Sunil Jakhar resigned in November last year after the Lok Sabha polls. However, the party is yet to accept his resignation. Though he has not been attending party meetings, he continues to raise state’s issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the wedding party of Jakhar’s grandson in Delhi this week.

Congratulating the BJP for its victory in Delhi, Jakhar wrote on X, “Congratulations to Union Home Minister Amit Shah-ji, National President JP Nadda-ji, and all BJP workers for making Delhi AAP-free under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-ji. Their hard work has led to the lotus blooming in Delhi after 27 years.”

Joining the issue, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal said, “Big congratulations to the people of Delhi who have seen through the web of lies and deceit of the Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal and rejected both thoroughly.”

“Like Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party is also engaging in massive corruption and diversion of funds in Punjab. The AAP leadership of Punjab has no moral values and has failed on all fronts besides destroying the economy of the state,” Badal said.

A confidant state BJP general secretary Anil Sarin said AAP, which was ruling Delhi and Punjab, has lost the National Capital to the BJP. “No doubt Punjab will see its ripple effects in 2027. The people of Punjab are already tired of three years of AAP rule. Hence, we will reach out to the masses to convert the vote share into seats.”

“The BJP is being reorganised. Bodies at the mandal, district and booth level will be re-elected by February-end and the new state body will be elected in March. So things will be clear by next month. We are already working at the grassroots and yes, after the Delhi polls we need to be more aggressive,” Sarin added.

Political observers believe that in the present political scenario, either the main Opposition Congress will form the next government in Punjab in the next Assembly elections, if it controls infighting in the state unit, or the breakaway group of AAP under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann will form the government by jumping ship and joining the BJP in the run-up to the polls.