NEW DELHI: Buzz is growing that assembly polls in Punjab may be brought forward to Nov 2026 from Feb 2027, as scheduled. Keeping this in mind, Congress is learnt to have started its preparations, while the ruling AAP has already kickstarted its campaign.Congress sources said the Punjab unit has held discussions on Nov polls, while AICC is also aware of it. The primary reason for the polls being advanced is said to be the Kumbh Mela starting on Jan 14 in Uttarakhand and the second phase of national census kicking off around the same time. Fear of the two events impacting the poll timing has forced the party to move ahead with a curtailed time frame for the preparations, lest it be caught wanting in its efforts. The AICC’s decision to constitute a committee under Ajay Maken late Thursday night for a report on the Punjab Congress unit is said to be dictated by urgency for quick changes in the state organisation as needed.AAP is preparing for a scenario of Nov polls, and BJP is also active on Punjab front.Further, there is speculation in Congress whether Uttarakhand polls will also be brought forward. Both states are to go to the polls along with UP in Feb-Mar 2027.Given the all-round activity, Punjab is set to become the next big battleground in national political calendar, with a strong three-cornered contest in the offing.AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal is keen to retain Punjab after the party’s ouster from its other stronghold, Delhi, while Congress is desperate to win back the state to add to perception of its political recovery after the victory in Kerala. Congress is especially keen to defeat AAP to simplify political equations in public perception as well as opposition’s collective calculations, as many INDIA bloc partners have sympathies with Kejriwal.As for BJP, it is making a serious charge to spread its wings in a state where it is at best a marginal force.
