India, Jan. 26 -- Punjab's next Assembly election is still some distance away, but the political undercurrents are already shifting. Beneath the daily churn of protests, law-and-order debates and Centre-state sparring, the Bharatiya Janata Party is quietly recalibrating its Punjab strategy with the patience of a party that plans beyond

election cycles. Central to this recalibration is an increasingly visible - and carefully positioned - figure: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

To a casual observer, Saini's frequent presence in Punjab may appear routine or symbolic. To political observers tracking the BJP's long-term strategy, however, it signals a deliberate attempt to reshape the party's Punjab narrative - away from dependence...