After months of high-profile visits to Punjab, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini makes a bold appearance at the Vidhan Sabha in a saffron turban to present the 2026–27 Budget. Express photo by Jasbir MalhiAfter months of frequent visits to Punjab — ranging from religious shrines and political conferences to bypoll campaigns and party inductions — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday created a stir by reaching the Vidhan Sabha and presenting the Budget for 2026–27 while sporting a saffron turban.As he entered the House, the treasury benches greeted him with chants of “Jo Bole So Nihal”. On his part, Saini, during the budget presentation, invoked the Sikh principles of ‘Kirat karo, naam japo, vand chhako’ (earn by honest work, meditate, share with others) given by Guru Nanak. He also invoked Sant Ravidass.Asked if by donning the turban he was trying to give a political message, Saini dismissed the suggestion. “It does not have any political undertones. I wear a turban from time to time; I wore it yesterday and I have worn it today as well. This is a play of my emotions, and people like it,” Saini said. He insisted that the gesture should not be linked to his recent visits to Punjab, telling The Indian Express: “It’s not that I wore a turban today only. I have been wearing it for a long time. Today I am Chief Minister, but I used to wear a turban earlier too. You can see my earlier photographs for the same.”The symbolism, however, was not lost with political experts linking it to the Assembly elections that are due in the neighbouring Punjab in February 2027.Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said, “If he (Saini) believes that by sporting a turban he would appeal to a particular section of the Punjabis, he is badly mistaken.”Warring asserted that Punjabis have never voted along communal lines and they never will. He warned the BJP against trying to inject the Punjab polity with its “communal venom”. “Punjabis can neither be lured by your (BJP) communal politics nor the theatrics”, he said, adding that this only shows how far removed the BJP and its leaders are from the ground reality in Punjab.Warring pointed out that Saini has been made a poster boy by the BJP for Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. “He is seen more in Punjab than in Haryana,” he said, adding that Saini will need to answer several questions that people of Punjab have in mind, as there is the contentious issue of water pending between the two states. “What shall be his stand on that?” he asked, while adding, “It is a clear case of conflict of interest.”Story continues below this adAhead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Saini has intensified his activities in Punjab, projecting the “Haryana model” as an alternative to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government there. His outreach is seen as an attempt to strengthen the BJP in a state where the party has traditionally struggled for prominence.Saini’s own community has a notable presence across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, adding to his influence. His relatively younger age and closeness to the BJP leadership are also viewed as advantages over counterparts within the party. In Haryana, OBCs make up nearly one-third of the population, with Sainis accounting for about 5 per cent and exerting influence in at least five constituencies. In Punjab, their numbers are said to be even higher, with sway in more than 10 constituencies across Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Jalandhar, Ropar, and Gurdaspur.Haryana Cabinet Minister Krishan Lal Panwar predicted that Saini’s presence in Punjab would have an impact: “Certainly, there will be a change of power in Punjab this time. People appreciate the politeness with which Saini meets everyone. They attend his events in large numbers despite the AAP government trying to obstruct them—even uprooting tents meant for his programmes.”Saini’s media secretary Praveen Attrey added: “The CM goes to Punjab on the invitation of the people for various programmes, as they admire his style of functioning. People in Punjab want the schemes introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Haryana to be implemented there too. The current AAP government has failed to fulfil the promises it made.”Story continues below this adOn the other hand, his political opponents in Haryana have begun criticizing him for ignoring what they call the “interests of the state.” Referring to Saini’s budget speech, senior Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda accused him of “making no mention of securing Haryana’s share of Sutlej–Yamuna Link (SYL) water from Punjab.”Senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala echoed the concern, remarking: “Every year a budget was allocated for the construction of the SYL canal, but this time, keeping in view the Punjab elections, it has been scrapped. The people of Haryana will not forget this because SYL is the lifeline of the state.”Recently, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Saini met to discuss the SYL canal issue. Both announced that officials from the two states would now meet three to four times a month to work toward a solution. Saini described the dialogue as “constructive,” while Mann asserted that Haryana was Punjab’s “brother, and not an enemy.”Opposition leaders, however, maintain that Saini’s outreach in Punjab may not yield significant dividends for the BJP. AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda said: “Saini has not been able to run the government in Haryana smoothly because of the interference by Manohar Lal Khattar. So, he is passing the time by moving away from Haryana.” He also claimed: “Neither the BJP had earlier anything in Punjab nor it would have in the future.”Sukhbir Siwach's extensive and in-depth coverage of farmer agitation against three farm laws during 2020-21 drew widespread attention. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Nayab Singh Saini