Chandigarh :
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab is witnessing signs of internal unease following the appointment of Kewal Singh Dhillon as state president, with senior leader Jagmohan Singh Raju, IAS (retired), stepping down as state general secretary.
Raju, who was also considered a contender for the top state post, submitted his resignation in a letter dated June 5, citing his desire to focus on public causes and long-term policy issues affecting Punjab.
In his letter addressed to the party’s organisational leadership, Raju said he had spent the past four years serving as vice-president and general secretary and described the experience as “enriching.” He added that he now wished to dedicate more time to issues such as the status of Amritsar as a holy city, education reforms, rights under the Right to Education Act, protection of Scheduled Castes and Sikh communities, drug abuse, Punjabi language promotion, and long-standing disputes related to water sharing and Chandigarh.
He further stated that these issues required sustained engagement through research, legal work, outreach, and public interaction, making it difficult to continue holding a major organisational responsibility.
Raju, a former IAS officer and visiting fellow at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School, also served as visiting professor at Panjab University. He had been viewed as a strong candidate for the Punjab BJP president’s post before the party’s central leadership chose Dhillon.
His resignation comes shortly after former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh publicly questioned the leadership decision, adding to perceptions of growing discontent within the party’s senior ranks as it prepares for the 2027 Assembly elections.
