In what could be said as an effort to woo the rural voters in Punjab and make a connect with the dominant Jat Singh Community in the state, the BJP Thursday appointed former Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon as the new president  ahead of the 2027 state elections.

The appointment was announced in a letter issued by BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, stating that the decision was approved by party national president Nitin Naveen and takes immediate effect.

Dhillon, 75, is a former Congress leader and a close associate of former Punjab chief minister Capt. Amarinder Singh. He joined the BJP in June 2022 after leaving the Congress party and has remained active in Punjab politics since then. He unsuccessfully contested Sangroor Lok Sabha bypoll  in 2022 but lost, he again contested the state assembly by polls  in 2024 from Barnala but  lost.

Dhillon served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly from Barnala from 2007 to 2017. He is also known as a businessman with longstanding organizational experience.

The move comes as the three-year  tenure of current Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar is set to end in July after completing three years in the position.

Party leaders are expected to rely on Dhillon’s political and organizational experience to strengthen the BJP’s cadre network in Punjab before the next assembly elections in 2027.