Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Friday in a politically significant tour that marks the BJP’s intensified push ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, which the party is planning to contest independently.
Though he will also be launching projects for Haryana and Chandigarh, the visit is being seen as the launch of the BJP’s outreach in Punjab from the politically influential Doaba region. Since ending its decades-long alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) during the farm laws agitation, the BJP has been working to establish an independent political base in the state.
A major highlight will be the flagging off of India’s first hydrogen-powered train between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana, one of the World’s longest and most powerful hydrogen trains.
In Punjab, the Prime Minister will visit Jalandhar, where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth over Rs 5,470 crore. The package includes rail and road infrastructure aimed at improving connectivity, passenger convenience and regional development.
Politically, the BJP is expected to use the visit to reinforce its development agenda while continuing its outreach to Sikh and Dalit voters. The Centre has increasingly highlighted initiatives to preserve Sikh heritage and improve infrastructure linking religious and cultural centres as part of its broader engagement with the community. “The visit reflects the BJP’s effort to rebuild its political standing in Punjab after the farm laws controversy, while positioning itself as an alternative to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections,” say observers
Among the key projects for Punjab are 75 redeveloped railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme with modern facilities while reflecting local heritage and architecture.
The PM will also inaugurate the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli rail line, which will strengthen connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, improve access to Hoshiarpur and Una, and enhance links to religious destinations such as Shri Anandpur Sahib and Maa Chintpurni Temple. He will also flag off the Kartoli-Ambala and Amritsar (Chheharta)-Varanasi train services.
The Prime Minister will further inaugurate a 30.9-km stretch of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and lay the foundation stone for the 25.2-km Southern Ludhiana Bypass to improve regional connectivity and reduce travel time.