Janata Dal-United makes foray into Punjab politics, to contest Assembly polls
Chandigarh, July 4
The Janata Dal, led by Bihar's former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Saturday announced its political expansion into Punjab and unveiled its roadmap for the forthcoming Assembly elections.
The party's state in-charge, Sanjay Kumar, told the media here that the JD(U) had decided to enter Punjab with a vision of providing a credible, development-oriented and people-centric political alternative.
He said Punjab deserved clean, transparent and accountable governance focused on the aspirations of the youth, farmers, entrepreneurs and the common man.
The JD(U) highlighted its growing footprint across several states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Assam and Karnataka, and expressed confidence that its governance-oriented approach would resonate with the people of Punjab.
Kumar made it clear that the party had officially declared its intention to contest the Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections. It also announced the formation of its Punjab organisational structure and outlined plans to strengthen its presence across the state through a grassroots campaign.
A major announcement on the occasion was the constitution of the Punjab Pradesh Core Committee, which will spearhead the party's expansion in the state.
Malvinder Singh was appointed President, while Gurpal Singh Hundal was named Vice-President. I.S. Ahluwalia was appointed Secretary General, Sanjiv Jha as General Secretary (Organisation), and Kanwar Singh Dhindsa was inducted as a key member of the core leadership.
Kumar emphasised that the party's agenda would focus on employment generation, quality education, agricultural reforms, better healthcare, transparent administration, women's empowerment and social welfare.
He said the party aimed to build politics based on performance, accountability and inclusive development rather than divisive narratives.
The party also announced the launch of a statewide membership drive to connect with people across villages, towns and cities of Punjab.
The campaign would encourage the participation of youth, women, professionals, farmers and members of civil society who wished to contribute towards building a stronger and more progressive Punjab.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally a party talking about clean governance and development instead of caste and religion! 👏 Punjab has suffered too much from divisive politics. JD(U) has done good work in Bihar - roads, girls' education, law & order. But Nitish Kumar's track record in Bihar is mixed. Let's see how they perform here. Punjab needs fresh ideas, not recycled politicians.
Core Committee list looks like a bunch of old faces from other parties 😒 Malvinder Singh, Gurpal Singh... where are the youth? They talk about youth empowerment but then appoint same old-timers. Plus JD(U) has no base in Punjab at all. It's going to be an uphill climb. But if they really focus on farmers and jobs, maybe they'll get some traction in rural areas.
Ha! Another Bihar party trying to expand? Remember what happened to Lalu's RJD in Punjab? Zero seats. JD(U) is nowhere without Nitish's caste calculations. Punjab has its own complex social dynamics. But I appreciate they are at least talking about transparent administration and women's empowerment. Time will tell. For now, just another election gimmick. 🤷♂️
I've lived in Punjab for 10 years and the one thing people want is employment for their kids. Every family has someone working abroad or looking for jobs. If JD(U) can actually create jobs and improve education, they'll get support. But lip service won't work here. Punjabis are smart, they've seen too many promises broken. Show us results, not just press releases.
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