EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.VINAY KOCHHAR/AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH.
Gangsters have long dominated Punjab politics. They have enjoyed direct patronage from political parties and politicians. Many gangsters, like Jaswinder Singh Bhullar, entered politics, while others like Jaggu Bhagwanpuria promoted their families. However, no gangster or their close associates have won major elections in Punjab politics.
People with gangster backgrounds have been rejected by the people of Punjab, and none of them have been able to reach the Assembly. Recently, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, a gangster with a gangster background, entered Punjab politics by joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann personally inducted him into the party at a grand ceremony.
Gurpreet Singh Sekhon has 47 cases registered against him. His joining the AAP has sparked opposition to this issue. Various political parties have already announced that they will make gangsterism an election issue in Punjab. Despite this, people with gangster backgrounds are entering politics.
When understanding crime and politics, the first name that comes to mind is that of Dimpy Chandbhan.
When understanding the nexus between crime and politics in Punjab, the first and most important name that comes to mind is that of Prabhjinder Singh Brar, alias Dimpy Chandbhan. A resident of Chandbhan village in Faridkot district, Dimpy is considered one of the state’s earliest major gangsters.
Dimpy’s name first surfaced in 1985 in the murder case of Makhan Singh, a prominent student leader at Punjab University. Due to lack of legal procedures and evidence, he was not convicted in this case, but this incident gave him a significant reputation in the criminal world.
Jaswinder Singh Bhullar alias Rocky Fazilka
Gangster who directly entered the electoral fray
After Dimpy Chandbhan’s death, Jaswinder Singh Bhullar alias Rocky Fazilka took the biggest step towards taking over his network and directly contesting the Punjab Assembly elections. Rocky was once a close confidante of Dimpy, but after Dimpy’s murder, he established his own independent criminal empire and political influence in Fazilka and surrounding areas.
Contested the 2012 Fazilka Assembly Elections
Rocky’s most high-profile move came in the 2012 Punjab Assembly elections. He filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the Fazilka seat. At that time, rumors swirled in state politics that he had the support of local leaders and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) network.
Rocky deployed a massive entourage, expensive vehicles, and a cadre of young people in his election campaign. When the election results came in, the political landscape across Punjab was stunned. Rocky lost to senior BJP leader Surjit Kumar Jyani by just under 1,700 votes. This was the first time in Punjab’s electoral history that an active gangster, facing serious charges, not only entered mainstream electoral politics but also came so close to victory, challenging the established system.
In the late 1980s, when Punjab was experiencing a period of terrorism and insurgency, Dimpy Chandbhan began expanding his connections within the political arena. He developed a close relationship with the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann.
After Mann’s party performed well in Punjab in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, Dimpy was attempting to establish himself as an established political figure. However, the subsequent political instability in Punjab, the cancellation of elections, and the massive police crackdown against insurgency thwarted his plans.
Due to increasing police pressure, Dimpy was forced to leave Punjab and relocate to Uttar Pradesh. There, she strengthened her ties with Purvanchal strongmen like Mukhtar Ansari and interstate criminal gangs.
Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, alias Sonu Mudki, is at the center of the biggest controversy currently raging in Punjab politics regarding the relationship between gangsters and the ruling party. A 49-year-old resident of Mudki village in Ferozepur district, Sekhon hails from a wealthy farming family. He studied to become a flight attendant, but around 2010, he joined the criminal gang of Shera Khubban and Jaipal Bhullar.
Breakout from Nabha Jail
Sekhon has approximately 47 cases registered against him, including murder, attempted murder, robbery, and the Arms Act. In January 2015, Sekhon’s name figured prominently in the murder of gangster Sukha Kahlwan while in police custody in Phagwara. However, he came into the limelight when he carried out the infamous Nabha high-security jailbreak in November 2016.
Sekhon was not only one of the prisoners who escaped from jail in this incident, but according to police investigations, he was also the mastermind behind the entire conspiracy from within the jail. In February 2017, he was re-arrested from Dhudike, Moga. He was later acquitted in the Sukha Kahlon murder case due to lack of evidence, while a Patiala court sentenced him to 10 years in prison in the Nabha jailbreak case. He was released from jail in November 2023 after the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended his sentence.
After his release from jail, Sekhon launched a massive campaign to change his image. He grew a beard, adopted a religious identity, and declared himself a social worker. He began arranging marriages for the poor, distributing rations, and repairing roads.
Joined AAP in September 2026
The biggest upheaval in Punjab politics occurred on September 6, 2026, when Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann personally inducted Gurpreet Singh Sekhon into the AAP by tying a turban on him at a massive rally in Zira, Ferozepur. The party also appointed him as the constituency in-charge for the Zira constituency.
Since Sekhon’s political entry, the state’s opposition parties—Congress, Akali Dal, and BJP—have criticized the AAP government. The opposition alleges that the government, which had promised to crack down on gangsters in the state, now seeks to retain power by providing political patronage to criminals. Meanwhile, Sekhon’s supporters argue that he has completely reformed, leaving behind his criminal past, and is now engaged in social service. He is expected to contest the 2027 assembly elections from the Zira constituency.
Jaggu Bhagwanpuria
Strong in the Dera Baba Nanak Belt
Another example of gangster-family political entry in Punjab is the family of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. Jaggu Bhagwanpuria himself is in jail and faces dozens of serious charges, including the murder of singer Sidhu Moosewala. He himself has not directly contested elections, but his family has established a strong political foothold in the Dera Baba Nanak belt of the border district of Gurdaspur.
The Influence of Rajwinder Kaur, alias Maasi
Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s aunt, known locally as Maasi, has emerged as a prominent political figure in the Dera Baba Nanak area. She has served as the chairperson of the Dera Baba Nanak Block Committee. Her influence in local politics is so strong that local leaders from various political parties maintain contact with her.
- Jaipal Singh Bhullar
Father’s entry into electoral politics after encounter
Punjab’s most wanted gangster, Jaipal Bhullar, was named in more than 40 cases. He was killed in an encounter by the West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) in Kolkata in June 2021. His death marked the beginning of his family’s political journey. Jaipal Bhullar’s father, Bhupinder Singh Bhullar, is a retired Inspector of the Punjab Police. He entered mainstream politics after his son’s death.
The message from Punjab voters is clear
This trend, which began with Dimpy Chandbhan in Punjab, has now reached the families of Rocky Fazilka and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and now Gurpreet Singh Sekhon. Political parties, which once provided covert patronage, are now hesitant to welcome these figures on public platforms.
Amidst all these developments, the biggest truth of Punjab’s electoral history remains that the people of the state have never allowed any active or former gangster to enter the Assembly. Rocky narrowly lost Fazilka in 2012, while Rajdeep Kaur failed in 2017. However, the result of Gurpreet Sekhon, who is associated with AAP, is still awaited.###USA###UK###CANADA###PUNJAB###FEROJPUR###FARIDKOT###CHANDIGARH###AUSTRALIA###NEWZEALAND###SINGAPORE###