Punjab Faces Political and Economic Turmoil Ahead of 2027 Elections
· India · The Hindu, Wall Street Journal
Punjab, once hailed as India's agricultural model, is now grappling with a volatile political transition marked by fractured electoral patterns and rising anti-incumbency ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. The state's public debt is projected to reach ₹4.5 lakh crore, driven by election-centric populism and unfulfilled pre-election promises. A drug epidemic and public outrage over the October 2026 murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota underscore deep socio-religious and structural challenges. The book Punjab in a State of Flux, published by The Hindu Group on November 11, 2026, analyzes these issues through transnational ties and internal socio-religious heterogeneities.
Why it matters
The state's escalating debt and social unrest threaten the livelihoods of farmers, Dalits, and ordinary citizens while undermining governance capacity ahead of critical elections.
Read the original report — The Hindu
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