Signalling early preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, BJP state vice-president Subhash Sharma on Tuesday formally launched his election campaign from the Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency. He inaugurated the party office at Kiratpur Sahib and called upon party workers to begin grassroots mobilisation.Addressing party workers and later speaking to the media, Sharma accused the AAP government of pushing Punjab into a deep financial crisis. “Only a BJP government can restore the state’s economic health. The financial burden on Punjab has crossed Rs 4 lakh crore and the state is heading towards economic collapse. The present government has failed to manage the economy and has disappointed the people,” he said.He also targeted the state government over the issue of dearness allowance (DA) for employees. He claimed that despite directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the AAP government had failed to release the dues, reflecting the deteriorating financial condition of the state. “To add to this, the government has decided to move the Supreme Court against the High Court decision on disbursement of DA to employees,” he said.He urged BJP workers to intensify their outreach. “Party workers should take the alleged failures of the state government to every household in the constituency and prepare for the upcoming Assembly election,” he said.Sharma has been actively working in the Anandpur Sahib constituency for the past several months. He was instrumental in getting a stoppage for the Vande Bharat train at the Nangal Dam railway station. He has also been advocating for the expansion of the NFL plant at Nangal, arguing that it would generate employment and boost industrial activity in the region.The launch of Sharma’s campaign is being viewed as BJP’s attempt to regain political relevance in a constituency where the party once enjoyed considerable influence but has steadily lost ground over the past two decades.The Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency, earlier known as the Nangal Assembly constituency before delimitation, was once regarded as one of BJP’s strongest urban bastions in Punjab. The seat was represented by senior BJP leader Madan Mohan Mittal, who went on to serve as a cabinet minister in the SAD-BJP government and remained one of the party’s most influential faces in the region.Over time, BJP lost influence in the area due to infighting. It initially lost the constituency to the Congress and later to AAP in the last Assembly election. In the last Assembly election, BJP finished a distant third, while AAP leader Harjot Singh Bains, currently the education and local bodies minister, won with a thumping majority.With Assembly election approaching, BJP has stepped up efforts to rebuild its cadre and revive its chances in the constituency. Subhash Sharma has increased his visits, organisational activities have been intensified, and the party is seeking to reconnect with voters by highlighting issues such as improved railway connectivity and industrial expansion in the area.