The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday appointed former Akali minister Surjit Singh Rakhra as its halqa incharge for Samana, ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, triggering speculation that he could be fielded from the constituency.The party also appointed Balvir Singh as halqa incharge for Shahkot, which is represented by Congress MLA Hardev Singh Laddi.Samana is currently represented by AAP MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra. Rakhra’s appointment has fuelled speculation about the party’s plans for the constituency in the 2027 Assembly elections.The move assumes significance given Rakhra’s established political base in Samana and his long association with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). AAP had inducted Rakhra into the party in May this year in the presence of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.Rakhra was a prominent SAD leader and served as Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister in the Parkash Singh Badal government. He remained with the SAD until August 2022 but subsequently distanced himself from the party amid differences with Sukhbir Singh Badal. He later joined the breakaway Akali faction, SAD (Punar Surjit).The faction expelled Rakhra in May 2026 for alleged “anti-party activities”, shortly before he joined the AAP. According to the Punar Surjit leadership, Rakhra had already conveyed his intention to join the ruling party.Rakhra’s induction into the AAP had itself raised questions over Jouramajra’s political future. Jouramajra was present at the event welcoming Rakhra into the party.Jouramajra, who was elected from Samana in 2022, has had a controversial tenure in the state Cabinet. As Health Minister, he was stripped of the portfolio in 2022 following a public controversy involving Baba Farid University Vice-Chancellor Dr Raj Bahadur. The episode followed an incident in which Jouramajra was seen making the VC sit on a hospital mattress, drawing widespread criticism.Jouramajra was subsequently given the Information and Public Relations, Mining and Horticulture portfolios. However, he was among four ministers dropped from the Mann Cabinet in the September 2024 reshuffle.He has also faced criticism over his conduct as an MLA, including in connection with an incident involving teachers in 2025.