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HARISH MANAV/ TheNewsDose.Com

Chandigarh: In Punjab today, floodwaters have not only submerged fields and homes but also set the stage for a parallel flood of political leaders. Even amid widespread devastation, politics refuses to take a back seat.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has been on the ground, accompanied by his ministers, MLAs, and MPs, seeking to project AAP as a responsive and hands-on government. The state administration has set up relief camps, mobilised rescue teams, and promised compensation, but criticism lingers over whether preparedness was adequate.

On the other side, the BJP has swiftly moved in. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, joined by Union MoS Ravneet Singh Bittu and state party president Sunil Jakhar, is visiting Punjab on September 4, assuring people that the Centre will extend every possible support. The optics here are clear—the BJP, traditionally a marginal player in Punjab politics, is seizing the crisis as an opportunity to project itself as a direct alternative, especially in the rural heartland.

Not to be left behind, the Congress is preparing for Rahul Gandhi’s tour of flood-hit districts. For a party that is trying to revive its relevance in Punjab after being out of power since 2022, this visit is meant to reassert its presence, particularly among farmers who form its core support base.

Sukhbir Badal and others leaders on ground for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), meanwhile, the floods present both a challenge and an opportunity. Having lost much ground after the farm law protests, the party is expected to highlight what it sees as failures of both AAP and BJP while attempting to reconnect with its traditional rural Sikh base.

Thus, Punjab’s flood crisis has become more than just a humanitarian disaster—it is also a political battlefield. Relief and rescue efforts are being closely intertwined with image-building exercises and pre-election positioning. With Assembly polls due in February 2027, every party wants to ensure that its leaders are seen at the forefront of this calamity. For the people of Punjab, however, the real test will lie in whether these high-profile visits translate into sustained support, long-term rehabilitation, and genuine solutions—or remain just another chapter of disaster tourism in the state’s political playbook.