With the 2027 Punjab assembly elections drawing closer, the state’s long-running drug crisis has once again taken centre stage in political debate. Every major party, from the ruling AAP to the BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal and Congress, is sharpening its pitch on an issue that has haunted Punjab for over a decade and shaped the outcome of previous elections.

Why Drugs Dominate Punjab’s Politics

Punjab’s drug problem is not new, but it remains deeply emotive. The state’s proximity to the international border has made it a transit corridor for narcotics, and successive governments have been accused of failing to break the supply chains that feed addiction among the youth. For voters, particularly in rural areas, the crisis is personal: few families have been untouched by its fallout.

The issue carries heavy political baggage. Past elections have seen parties promise to wipe out the drug menace within weeks, promises that proved far harder to keep in office. That history makes the current round of campaign rhetoric a high-stakes gamble, with voters measuring new pledges against old disappointments.

Parties Sharpen Their Pitch

Each party is now framing the crisis in its own terms. The AAP government points to its enforcement record and rehabilitation efforts, while opposition parties allege the problem has deepened on its watch. The BJP, SAD and Congress are each trying to position themselves as the force that can finally deliver results, turning the drug issue into a test of governance rather than just law and order.

Public health experts, meanwhile, caution that the crisis cannot be solved by policing alone. They argue that treatment, rehabilitation and prevention need equal weight in any serious strategy. As the campaign heats up, the question for Punjab’s voters is which party offers a credible plan, and not just a louder promise.

The renewed focus on the drug crisis also comes at a time when Punjab’s youth unemployment and agrarian distress are compounding the problem, giving the issue an economic dimension that parties ignore at their peril. Whichever party wins in 2027 will inherit not just a law-and-order challenge but a public health emergency, and voters will be watching closely to see whether campaign promises survive contact with power.