BJP state vice-president Arvind Khanna quits party, joins SAD

In 2012, Khanna returned to the state Assembly after winning from the Dhuri constituency on a Congress ticket. Two years later, in 2014, he resigned from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, abruptly quit the Congress and announced his decision to step away from active politics, citing personal reasons. While in the Congress, he was considered a close aide of former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

After an eight-year hiatus, Khanna re-entered politics in January 2022 by joining the BJP ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections. He contested the 2022 polls from Sangrur but finished a distant third, securing 13,766 votes. The seat was won by Aam Aadmi Party candidate Narinder Kaur Bharaj.

Despite the electoral setback, Khanna remained politically active at the grassroots level, maintaining regular contact with residents in the area. His switch to the SAD also saw several supporters joining him, including the BJP Mahila Morcha district president from Sangrur, a few sitting BJP councillors and other local office-bearers.

Khanna’s induction into the Shiromani Akali Dal is being viewed as a significant political development in the Malwa region, with potential implications for future electoral contests in Punjab.