Why Haryana CM Nayab Saini is BJP’s biggest campaign asset in Punjab

When the BJP sends Saini to Punjab, it is attempting to sell the idea that the state which once looked up to Punjab has, over the past three decades, forged a different developmental trajectory, and that Punjab can follow a similar path under BJP rule. (File) As Punjab begins its long march to the Assembly elections, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is becoming an increasingly familiar face across the state. Sporting a saffron turban during his visits, he has emerged as one of the BJP’s most visible campaigners in Punjab. Whether making unscheduled stopovers, as he did at a college to mark Shaheed Udham Singh’s anniversary, or addressing gatherings big and small, Saini’s message is remarkably consistent: Punjab and Haryana share a common history, and Punjab, too, can benefit from a