Visit of Prime Minister Modi
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders expect Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Punjab on Friday, during which he will inaugurate a series of development projects, to set the tone for the 2027 Assembly elections in the state, people familiar with the party’s plans said on Wednesday.
Modi is set to inaugurate the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantonment Railway Station and virtually launch 74 more railway stations developed under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS).
It will be the Prime Minister’s third visit to the state, which has witnessed elections in the past five months. The BJP, which is preparing to fight the high-stakes election alone, intends to put development and infrastructure projects at the heart of its campaign, party leaders said.
“Development projects have been the strength of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government. Since 2014, nearly $Rs 40,000 crore has been directed towards infrastructure in Punjab alone. There is improved road network, new railway stations, 100% electrification of extensive railway network, improved air connectivity and new stations… In addition, all sections from farmers to workers plowing the land have benefited from various schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Ayushman Bharat,” a state BJP official said.
The official added that a detailed account of infrastructure projects, improvements in healthcare services, education and social welfare schemes will be shared with party workers to support the election campaign.
A second BJP leader said that while the party is unlikely to revive its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), it will have to focus more on developmental and economic issues, especially in the absence of a chief minister.
The Akali Dal, once the BJP’s oldest ally, quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in September 2020 over disagreements over the now-repealed farm laws.
“Though the party has a plan to develop Punjab, equal attention is being given to cultural and social aspects as well. The BJP government was engaged in religious and social issues… in 2019 after Prime Minister Modi intervened by reopening the Kartarpur Sahab corridor,” the second official said.
The Kartarpur Corridor was opened in 2019 to facilitate visa-free travel for Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan. However, the Hajj route remains suspended following tensions between India and Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam in May 2025.
Apart from development, the BJP is also expected to raise ideological issues during the election campaign. Party leaders said concerns about illegal immigration and religious conversions are likely to feature in outreach efforts.
The first employee quoted above said: “Punjab, being a border state, has borne the brunt of terrorism, drug abuse and conversions by missionaries. The problem of conversion through inducement and sometimes coercion is rampant in areas along the border. The Sikh community should join forces with the federal government in identifying and reporting illegal settlers who pose a threat to national security.”
