India, May 28 -- In a surprise organisational overhaul ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday appointed former Congress MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon as its new state unit president.

Dhillon, 75, replaces Sunil Jakhar, marking a historic shift for the saffron party as it installs its first-ever Jat Sikh chief in Punjab.

This strategic elevation is a bid to woo the politically dominant Jat-Sikh peasantry. Historically, the BJP's electoral fortunes in Punjab have relied almost entirely on the urban Hindu business community. However, operating without its erstwhile ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the party is forced to aggressively expand its rural footprint. BJP insiders say that placing a...