GANGSTER-TURNED-POLITICIAN Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, has made the headlines after a surprise induction into the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in Punjab. During a public rally of the AAP in the Zira assembly constituency on September 6, 2026, Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan officially announced Gurpreet’s joining, and hailed the ‘politics of work’ as the central motto and focus of the AAP.
This induction however, has brought about serious speculations from across the political spectrum in the State, with the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and other civil society workers flagging their concerns over the ‘dangerous precedent’ being set in Punjab’s politics.
Gurpreet Singh Sekhon—a resident of the Mudki area in Punjab’s Ferozepur District—had been infamously known for his criminal activities and involvement with various gangs in the state. In 2015, he had been accused of Gangster Sukhvir Singh’s murder along with eight others, but was later acquitted in February 2019 due to the lack of sufficient evidence by the Kapurthala court. He came to a major limelight after the Nabha Jailbreak incident in 2016, when a group of armed men broke into the high security prison and freed six inmates, including Harminder Singh Mintoo—former Chief of khalistani Liberation force. Following this, he was arrested in February 2017, and subsequently convicted by the court.
Following this, Sekhon was sentenced to a ten-year imprisonment for attempted murder and criminal conspiracy by a trial court in March 2023. Initially, he was also charged under the provisions of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in this case, but was not sustained by the trial court later. Subsequently, he was released from prison on November 22, 2023, after the Punjab and Haryana high court heard his appeal against the trial court verdict, eventually suspending his conviction.
Since then, Sekhon has tried to refurbish his gangster image and reorient himself as someone engaged in social work and community-service. However, it was not long before Sekhon set his foot into local politics. In 2025, two women candidates from his family won the Zila Parishad seats with the backing of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Back then, Sekhon had actively campaigned for them, while also hinting about his intentions to contest the 2027 assembly elections.
AAP had organized a political program in the Zira Assembly constituency on September 6. While addressing the gathering, CM Bhagwant Mann announced the induction of Sekhon into the party and gave the clarion for politics of development and delivery. He directly defended Sekhon, and made a case for positive transformation in one’s life. “Circumstances may sometimes compel a person to make certain decisions. But when someone chooses the right path and dedicates himself to public service, people accept and support him,”Bhagwant Mann said in the rally. However, while focusing on Sekhon’s transformation, Bhagwant Mann did not dwell on his criminal history.
Gurpreet Sekhon also addressed the rally and echoed a similar stance. He stated that all the cases against him have been disposed of, and that he had been working for the people of this area for the past several years. Sekhon also went ahead to acknowledge Bhagwant Mann, handed him a siropa and kirpan, and described him as an elder brother whom he would fully support. “I have faced many highs and lows in my life. But, I have never stopped praying to God. And today, I am joining the AAP along with my supporters” Sekhon said in the gathering.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties in the state, particularly that of the Congress and SAD, have expressed their serious criticisms against the AAP.
Balkaur Singh–father of late singer Sidhu Moosewala, and also a congress member—showcased his great resentment towards the growing trend of promoting gangsters in the political field. In an X post, Mr Singh is heard saying that one party is promoting Lawrence Bishnoi—an Indian gangster—, and the AAP is promoting another gangster.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) vehemently opposed this induction across the media platforms. In SAD’s official account X, they criticized AAP’s policy against gangsters. “Not war, but love with gangsters ~ That seems to be @AAPPunjab’s new campaign as today a well known gangster Gurpreet Sekhon, the mastermind of the famous Nabha jailbreak was not just inducted into the party but also given a warm hug and welcomed like a hero by BHAND himself!” , the post on X said.
Congress Party too, posted from its official X account, citing the duality of the AAP over the years in its governance and administration. “Once, @BhagwantMann attacked the @Akali_Dal_ for inducting gangsters into politics. Today, by bringing Gurpreet Sekhon into AAP, he has proved that his own stand means nothing. For the sake of power, Mann is now following the very path he once condemned. Inducting gangsters into the party while making grand claims of building a “Rangla Punjab”—that is Bhagwant Mann’s change.”
These criticisms have also resurfaced AAP National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal’s comment during the 2016 Nabha Jailbreak incident. Kejriwal had tweeted on the lack of government accountability and the breakdown of the law and order in Punjab. “This shows complete breakdown of law and order in Punjab” wrote Kejriwal on X. However, AAP and Kejriwal have now come to face immense criticisms for turning back on their own words, and inducting a former gangster into the party.
As the elections in Punjab draw closer, it is evident that all the political parties are trying to play all the cards at their disposal. Criticisms, counter-criticisms, and accountability claims are the central character of a democratic country. This is further built upon by The Hindu Data team’s latest study, which revealed that approximately 30% of the MPs and MLAs face serious criminal cases in India.
See Also: MP Amritpal Singh Looks to Face CM Bhagwant Mann in 2027 Punjab Polls
Given the increasing number of former-convicts, or local strongmen entering parliamentary politics, there is a broader question concerning the health of India’s Democracy: have our constitutional provisions been able to balance the ‘muscle-power politics’ in India?
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