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Politically, the BJP is looking to challenge the Aam Aadmi Party’s support among Dalit voters in Punjab while countering the Samajwadi Party’s PDA narrative in Uttar Pradesh
The BJP is also seeking to build its outreach around initiatives linked to Guru Ravidas and improved connectivity. (Reuters)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing for a major outreach among Dalit communities ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections, with party national president Nitin Nabin likely to flag off the proposed ‘Samarasta Sankalp Yatra’ from Jalandhar on November 18, according to sources. The yatra is expected to culminate in Varanasi on December 3.
The proposed yatra will pass through Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi before reaching Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The campaign is expected to centre on social harmony, equality and the legacy of Guru Ravidas, while carrying a wider political message across northern India.
Jalandhar is a significant choice for the launch. Located in the Doaba region, the city sits at the heart of one of Punjab’s most politically important belts. Doaba, comprising Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), accounts for 23 of Punjab’s 117 assembly constituencies. Eight of these seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes, underlining the region’s importance in electoral calculations.
Dalits constitute around 32 per cent of Punjab’s population, according to Census 2011 figures, the highest proportion among Indian states. Their concentration in Doaba, particularly among the Ravidassia community, makes the region a key battleground for parties seeking to expand their support base. Dera Sachkhand Ballan, near Jalandhar, is among the most influential religious centres for the community and has long attracted political leaders across party lines.
The BJP is also seeking to build its outreach around initiatives linked to Guru Ravidas and improved connectivity. On February 1 this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Punjab to mark the saint’s 649th birth anniversary and announced the renaming of Adampur Airport as Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport. He also inaugurated the new terminal building at Halwara Airport in Ludhiana through video conferencing.
The prime minister returned to Jalandhar in July, inaugurating the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantonment railway station and flagging off the Sant Ravidas Express between Amritsar’s Chheharta and Varanasi. The train provides a direct rail link between Punjab and the city traditionally regarded as Guru Ravidas’s birthplace. The Centre also announced railway and road infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 5,470 crore during the visit.
The proposed yatra builds on this engagement, linking Jalandhar directly with Kashi ahead of Guru Ravidas’s 650th birth anniversary. Politically, the BJP is looking to challenge the Aam Aadmi Party’s support among Dalit voters in Punjab while countering the Samajwadi Party’s PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) narrative in Uttar Pradesh.
For the BJP, the challenge will be to convert symbolic gestures and development initiatives into a stronger grassroots presence. With Punjab heading towards elections in 2027, the Samarasta Sankalp Yatra could become an important part of that effort.
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Ask News18The Bharatiya Janata Party is organizing the ‘Samarasta Sankalp Yatra’ as part of its Dalit outreach ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. Party national president Nitin Nabin is expected to flag off the yatra from Jalandhar on November 18, and it is scheduled to culminate in Varanasi on December 3.
Ask News18Punjab, India, India
November 13, 2026, 10:36 IST
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