In a major boost to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of 2027 Punjab Assembly Elections, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and human rights lawyer Harvinder Singh Phoolka on Wednesday (April 1) joined the saffron party in New Delhi, marking his return to active politics after a seven-year hiatus.
Phoolka, who previously represented the Dakha constituency, formally joined the in the presence of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, party's National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, and others at the party headquarters in the national capital.
Who is HS Phoolka?
Harvinder Singh Phoolka, commonly known as HS Phoolka, is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court. He is widely known for his long legal battle seeking justice for victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. His work earned him national recognition as a human rights lawyer.
The 70-year-old began his political journey with AAP in 2014 and quickly rose to prominence within the party. He contested the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections from Ludhiana in Punjab on the AAP ticket but lost to Congress candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu by 19,709 votes.
In the 2017 Punjab assembly elections, Phoolka contested and won the Dhaka constituency, defeating Akali leader Manpreet Singh Ayali, and later served as Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
However, Phoolka resigned as AAP legislator in 2018 over the then Congress government's alleged failure to take action against those involved in the 2015 sacrilege incidents.
In December 2024, he briefly aligned with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The announcement came on December 7, 2024, shortly after the December 2 directive issued by former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to reorganise the party through a new membership drive.
