When will Punjab Assembly poll take place?

June 20, 2026

Recently, during a rally, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal speculated that the Punjab Assembly elections—scheduled for February 2027—could potentially be held earlier, in November 2026. He urged his party’s in-charges and supporters to be prepared for this scenario. While the Election Commission has stated that there is no such possibility and that elections will be held on schedule, discussions regarding early elections have resurfaced in political circles. Political parties gearing up for the electoral battle in Punjab have intensified their activities and instructed their cadres to mobilize, particularly at the youth level. The Aam Aadmi Party has already declared Bhagwant Mann as its face for the next Chief Minister, and public meetings and outreach campaigns have gained momentum once again. The Punjab BJP has also directed its workers to remain active, while the Congress party is deliberating on the election strategy; speculation regarding a change in the state Congress president is surfacing daily. A major factor driving this speculation is the expectation that the census machinery will be fully operational in 2027. The intensive revision of voter lists is already underway. If all these tasks—including the census—were to coincide in early 2027, it would place an immense burden on the state’s administrative machinery. Teachers and government employees are typically deployed for these processes; the question of how they could simultaneously handle multiple duties remains a significant challenge that the Central Government and the Election Commission must address. Consequently, if early elections are announced, political parties must ensure they are prepared well in advance. Although there have been no official announcements or statements to this effect, the rumor mill is abuzz. The 2027 census will involve a house-listing phase, followed by a second phase for collecting population details, which will also include a caste-based census. One can well imagine the immense pressure that would be placed on the government machinery if such major national undertakings were to take place simultaneously. That is why there is speculation that the elections could be held towards the end of this year. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen