Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Chairman of the Improvement Trust, Phagwara, Sunil Cham, has joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in a development seen as a setback for the BJP in the region ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Cham, long associated with BJP and RSS circles in Phagwara and regarded as a prominent local political figure, formally joined AAP in Chandigarh. He was inducted into the party by Punjab AAP president Aman Arora.
The event was attended by Phagwara constituency in-charge and Member of Parliament Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, along with senior party leaders Deepak Bali and Rajwinder Kaur Thiarha, who welcomed him into the party.
AAP leaders said the inclusion of an experienced leader like Cham would strengthen the party’s organisational base in Phagwara and surrounding areas. They added that his experience would help expand the reach of the party’s governance model and public welfare policies at the grassroots level.
The development has sparked discussion within local political circles, with observers viewing it as a setback for the BJP’s local structure. Party workers in Phagwara, many long associated with BJP and RSS ideology, are reportedly engaged in internal discussions following the shift.
Political analysts said that if such defections continue, it could affect the confidence of the BJP’s senior leadership in Punjab ahead of the 2027 elections. Some also suggested that ongoing organisational dissatisfaction, if left unaddressed, may impact the party’s broader electoral strategy in the state.
The move has further fuelled speculation over shifting political equations in Phagwara, with debate intensifying on its possible impact on upcoming electoral dynamics. Cham is known to be a close associate of former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Sampla, making his exit from the party particularly significant in local political circles.
No police case has been registered in connection with the development, which is being viewed as a political realignment rather than a legal matter.
