Punjab 2027 Elections: BJP Focuses On Guru Ravidas Legacy, Dalit Outreach Through Jalandhar-Varanasi Yatra

BJP Plans North India Outreach Yatra Ahead Of Punjab 2027 Polls, Puts Guru Ravidas Legacy At Centre

The BJP is preparing to expand its engagement with Dalit communities ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections through a proposed religious and social outreach campaign. Party national president Nitin Nabin is expected to launch the ‘Samarasta Sankalp Yatra’ from Jalandhar on November 18, with the programme scheduled to conclude in Varanasi on December 3, according to sources.

The proposed journey will cover several northern states and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, before reaching Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. The campaign is expected to highlight the teachings of Guru Ravidas, with an emphasis on equality, social unity and harmony.

Why Jalandhar Has Been Chosen

The selection of Jalandhar as the starting point carries significance because of its location in Punjab’s Doaba region, an area with considerable political and demographic importance.

The Doaba belt includes Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr). Together, these districts account for 23 of Punjab’s 117 Assembly constituencies, including eight seats reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates.

According to the 2011 Census, Scheduled Castes account for nearly 32% of Punjab’s population, making it the state with the highest proportion of Dalits in the country.

The Ravidassia community has a significant presence in the Doaba region. Dera Sachkhand Ballan, located near Jalandhar, is an important religious centre for the community and has historically drawn the attention of political parties and their leaders.

BJP’s Focus On Guru Ravidas And Development Initiatives

The proposed yatra follows a series of BJP-led initiatives associated with Guru Ravidas and infrastructure development in Punjab.

On February 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state to mark the 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas. During the visit, he announced that Adampur Airport would be renamed Shri Guru Ravidass Maharaj Ji Airport. He also inaugurated the new terminal building at Halwara Airport in Ludhiana through video conferencing.

In July, Modi visited Jalandhar again to inaugurate the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantonment railway station and flag off the Sant Ravidas Express. The train connects Chheharta in Amritsar with Varanasi, providing a direct rail link between Punjab and the city traditionally associated with Guru Ravidas’s birthplace.

The Centre also announced railway and road infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 5,470 crore during the visit.

Jalandhar-Varanasi Connection Gains Political Significance

The proposed Samarasta Sankalp Yatra seeks to bring together the religious and cultural association between Jalandhar and Kashi ahead of Guru Ravidas’s 650th birth anniversary.

The BJP’s broader outreach comes as political parties prepare for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Dalit voters represent an important electoral constituency in the state, and the party is seeking to strengthen its engagement with communities that have traditionally been approached through different political and religious networks.

The campaign also has a wider political dimension in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP faces the Samajwadi Party’s PDA narrative, which focuses on backward classes, Dalits and minorities.

Grassroots Outreach Remains A Key Challenge

While the proposed yatra and infrastructure announcements provide a platform for the BJP to highlight Guru Ravidas’s legacy and its engagement with the community, translating these initiatives into sustained grassroots support remains a separate challenge.

With Punjab’s next Assembly elections scheduled for 2027, the proposed journey from Jalandhar to Varanasi is expected to form part of the party’s wider social outreach strategy across northern India.