Analysis: Why It Is Challenging To Polarise Hindu Voters In Punjab

Punjabi Hindus differ significantly from their counterparts in other states as they not only follow Hinduism but also hold deep reverence for Sikhism and interfaith traditions, reflecting the state's harmonious and syncretic ethos.

The political background and voting patterns in Punjab's Hindu stronghold constituencies also differ from those in other states. Many are followers of dozens of Deras and sects that symbolise a mix of faiths and traditions. Their mother tongue is Punjabi, not Hindi.

Punjab is home to over 10,678,138 Hindus, which is 38.49 per cent of the electorate. They are also hard to polarise.

In 2022, despite a Ram Temple wave, the AAP swept Hindu voters, winning 15 of 22 Hindu-stronghold assembly seats, followed by the Congress and the BJP, which won 5 and 2 seats, respectively.

Also read: Analysis: How Dera, Dynasty, And Drugs Will Define Punjab's 2027 Mandate

How Political Parties Are Trying To Reel In Hindu Voters

Winning over the Hindu electorate in Punjab has always proved highly challenging. Politicians, barring the hardliners, say they do not focus on Hindus and Sikhs separately. But the reality contradicts their assertion.

The political parties have tried to reel in the Hindu voters in their own way. In 2013, the then Chief Minister, late Parkash Singh Badal, had announced a memorial to three Hindu martyrs - Mati Das, Sati Das, and Dyal Das - which remained only an announcement.

"Besides establishing a Bhagwan Parshuram Chair for Indian Culture and Literature at Punjabi University, Patiala, the then State SAD-BJP government had announced a public holiday on Lord Parshuram's birth anniversary, which is still in vogue," said Charanjeet Singh Brar, former Secretary to SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, who recently joined the BJP.

Taking a clue from the BJP's Punjab focus and alleged sacrilege slur against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal recently announced a Mata Janaki temple in Amritsar. The announcement is being viewed as an attempt to impress Hindu voters.

Interestingly, the BJP, recognised as India's premier right-wing, pro-Hindu nationalist political party, has not announced anything particular for the Hindu community in Punjab. Besides announcing rail and road development projects worth thousands of crores, the party's focus remains on the Sikh voters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his recent public address, reminded that besides bringing in Shri Guru Granth Sahi swaroops from Afghanistan, enshrining the 300-year-old sacred footwear (Jore Sahib) of Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Sahib Kaur at Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Hemkund Sahib Ropeway, Golden Temple FCRA Clearance and establishing December 26 as Veer Bal Diwas to honour the bravery and martyrdom of the Chaar Sahibzaade are among the initiatives for the Sikh community.

Also read: Explained: BJP's High-Stakes Gamble In Punjab

Why Is It Difficult To Polarise Hindu Voters In Punjab

Political analysts say the Hindu voter base in Punjab is not a single monolith; it is split by caste and geography. There are upper-caste Hindus and Dalit Hindus. Upper-caste Hindus are nearly 20 per cent of the population and live in urban areas. Dalits and OBCs constitute 18 to 19 per cent of the electorate and live in rural or semi-urban areas.

The past four assembly elections suggest that Punjab's Hindu voting pattern has never been a rigid religious bloc. From being a Congress stronghold to an Akali-BJP combine, it was attracted by the AAP in 2022.

Although the BJP's vote share increased from 9 per cent in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to 18 per cent in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party performed poorly in the Lok Sabha elections as it did not win even a single seat. As the party eyes a larger vote share, it recently roped in Kewal Singh Dhillon, a Jat Sikh face, as the party's state president.

Also read: Analysis: Why The Shadow Of Separatism Lingers In Punjab

"Punjabi Hindus have a fluid religious identity. Hindu voters in Punjab don't just practice Hinduism-they deeply revere Sikhism, frequently visit Gurdwaras, and heavily follow various regional Dera sects, making strict religious polarisation impossible. Attempts to polarise Hindu voters will be futile," says Prof Pramod Kumar, Chairman, Institute for Development and Communication, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Anil Sarin, Punjab BJP's general secretary, said: "In Punjab, we do not see Sikhs and Hindus differently; they are Punjabis first. There is a tradition among Punjabi Hindu families to don a turban. My father also wore a turban. Historically, there never has been a Hindu-Sikh division".

"In 2022, every community of voters fell prey to the AAP's false promises, which they failed to keep. Now people are looking for a change. We are highlighting the success of our governments in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where law and order have improved, and gangsters have been neutralised or jailed. They tried Congress and AAP, now BJP is the only hope," he added.

Former cabinet minister and senior BJP leader Lakshmi Kanta Chawla expressed similar views but said polarising Hindu voters will not make a difference.

"It is Shiromani Akali Dal which considers Hindu voters different from Sikhs, but almost all political parties, except Amritpal-led Waris Punjab De, have Hindu members and leaders. How will polarisation help Hindus in Punjab? I don't think we need to look at Sikhs and Hindus differently; they are the same," she said.