States » NorthPosted at: Nov 10 2026 2:21PM


Jailed former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar not in favour of contesting 2027 assembly polls

Neeraj Bali
Chandigarh, Nov 10 (UNI) Jailed former Punjab minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Laljit Singh Bhullar has announced that he will not contest the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, months after his arrest in connection with the alleged suicide of a senior government official, in a development that raises questions about the party's political plans in the Patti constituency.
Bhullar, who represents Patti in Tarn Taran district, made the announcement in a Facebook post on Tuesday, expressing gratitude to his constituents for their continued support.
“I have heard the sentiments expressed by the brothers and sisters of the Patti constituency regarding the party fielding me once again in the upcoming elections. However, I have decided not to contest,” Bhullar wrote in Punjabi, according to an English translation of his post.
He thanked the people of Patti for their affection and support, saying he would remain indebted to them throughout his life.
The announcement marks a significant development in Bhullar's political career, which has been overshadowed by criminal proceedings following the death of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a district manager with the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation.
Randhawa died on March 21, 2026, after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance. Before his death, he reportedly recorded a video accusing Bhullar of harassment and exerting pressure in connection with the allocation of warehouse construction contracts.
The allegations triggered a political controversy, following which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann directed Bhullar to resign from the state cabinet.
Bhullar, who had held the transport and jails portfolios, subsequently stepped down.
Acting on a complaint by Randhawa's wife, Upinder Kaur, Amritsar police registered a case against Bhullar, his father Sukhdev Singh and his personal assistant Dilbagh Singh.
The case includes allegations of abetment to suicide and criminal intimidation. Bhullar has denied the accusations.
Police arrested Bhullar from Mandi Gobindgarh on March 23. He was subsequently remanded to judicial custody.
Investigators filed a chargesheet in May, reportedly citing witness statements and video recordings as part of the evidence collected during the investigation.
A court rejected Bhullar's bail application in July, and he remains in custody as the criminal proceedings continue.
The case has also led to changes in AAP's organisational arrangements in Patti, a constituency Bhullar won in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections.
In July, the party appointed former wrestler Jaskanwar Singh Gill, popularly known as Jassa Patti, as its constituency in-charge.
The appointment came months before Bhullar publicly announced his decision not to contest the next assembly election.
AAP has already released its first list of 40 candidates for the 2027 elections, although Patti was not included in that announcement.
Bhullar's Facebook statement did not explicitly say he is resigning from AAP, relinquishing his assembly membership or permanently retiring from politics.
He also did not specify whether his decision was connected to the criminal proceedings against him or the party's organisational changes in Patti.
The announcement leaves open the question of who AAP will field from the constituency in the next election.
For Bhullar, the decision represents a withdrawal from the forthcoming electoral contest while his legal case remains unresolved.
The allegations against him have not been proved in court, and the criminal proceedings remain pending.
UNI NB AAB
Tags: #Jailed former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar not in favour of contesting 2027 assembly polls
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