Punjab BJP too pushed back on Chandigarh Bill, told MHA it was opposed to move

State BJP general secretary Anil Sarin said, “On Sunday, the core committee of the Punjab BJP held a virtual meeting and conveyed their opposition to the MHA after which the Ministry issued a clarification. We stand fully committed to Punjab’s interests and communicated our stand to the MHA. We are glad that they quickly clarified the confusion.”

Jakhar too welcomed the MHA clarification. “It is good that confusion about the amendment has been cleared. Chandigarh is an emotional issue for Punjabis. These emotions cannot be ignored. Our resolve to uphold Punjab’s structural framework is unshakable.”

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill 2025, seeking to “include the Union Territory of Chandigarh in Article 240 of the Constitution of India, in alignment with other Union Territories without legislatures – namely, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Puducherry (when its Legislative Assembly is dissolved or suspended)”, was mentioned in Lok Sabha’s tentative list of 10 new Bills for “introduction, consideration and passing” during the winter session next month. Article 240 empowers the President to make regulations for the Union Territory and legislate directly.

Punjab parties saw the Bill as clearing the way for the appointment of an independent Administrator or Lt Governor – since 1984, the Governor of Punjab has been the Administrator of Chandigarh – and weakening the state’s claim to the city which is the capital of both Punjab and Haryana

According to sources, the BJP core committee was of the opinion that the proposal must be discussed with the state unit before steps regarding its implementation are taken.

BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal said, “We are happy the matter was clarified just like the Panjab University issue was.” He was referring to the protests triggered by the Centre’s October 28 move to trim the Senate and Syndicate of Panjab University, a notification that was eventually withdrawn on November 7.

Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Kumar Sharma said the MHA’s clarification “reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s affection for the state” and that the state unit would speak to the Centre whenever needed to ensure “pro-Punjab solutions”.

But before the Centre’s clarification, there were murmurs of discontent in the state unit. Many senior leaders privately admitted that the Centre had gone ahead with the move without consulting them.

“We have been trying hard to rebuild support in the state, but such decisions by Delhi push us two steps back. On Saturday, we also held a massive protest against the AAP government for not fulfilling its pre-poll promises even after four years in power. Such decisions on sensitive issues only make it harder for us to convert goodwill into votes,” a leader said.

In the recent past, Punjab and the Centre have been on collision course over issues such as the Panjab University row, deployment of Central paramilitary forces at projects maintained by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), and flood-related assistance.

The row over the Bill comes at a time when the BJP is gradually finding its footing in the state and preparing to go it alone in next month’s Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections.

Following the 2020-2021 protests over the farm laws since repealed, the BJP’s vote share has been rising slowly, but the party has struggled to convert that into electoral victories. Even in the recent Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll, the BJP candidate finished a distant fifth despite a high-octane campaign by party leaders and the RSS cadre.