In a significant political development ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, senior advocate and former AAP MLA Harvinder Singh Phoolka joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday (April 1) in New Delhi. His induction is being viewed as a strategic boost for the party as it looks to expand its footprint in Punjab.
Phoolka formally joined the party in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, and BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, among other senior leaders at the party headquarters in the national capital.
Widely known as HS Phoolka, the 70-year-old is a senior advocate who has practiced in both the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. He earned national recognition for his relentless legal fight seeking justice for victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, establishing himself as one of India’s most prominent human rights lawyers.
Phoolka began his political career with the Aam Aadmi Party in 2014. He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Ludhiana but was defeated by Congress candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu.
He went on to win the Dakha Assembly seat in the 2017 Punjab elections, defeating Akali Dal leader Manpreet Singh Ayali. Following his victory, Phoolka served as the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, becoming one of AAP’s most prominent faces in the state.
However, in 2018, he resigned as an MLA, citing dissatisfaction with the then Congress government’s handling of cases related to the 2015 sacrilege incidents. His resignation marked a turning point, leading to his gradual withdrawal from active politics.
In December 2024, Phoolka briefly aligned with the Shiromani Akali Dal. The move came shortly after a directive issued by former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh calling for the party’s reorganisation through a fresh membership drive. However, his association with SAD remained short-lived.
Phoolka’s entry into the BJP is seen as part of the party’s broader strategy to strengthen its leadership base in Punjab by bringing in experienced and credible faces. His legal stature, coupled with his long-standing advocacy for justice in sensitive cases, may help the BJP connect with a wider section of voters in the state.
With Punjab politics expected to heat up in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly elections, Phoolka’s return signals a potential reshaping of political alignments and could influence voter dynamics in key constituencies.
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