Modi’s February 1 Dera Visit Signals Dalit Outreach Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 649th birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas at Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar on February 1, meeting head Sant Niranjan Dass, a Padma Shri awardee, and invoking his Varanasi (Kashi) roots to appeal to Dalit voters [1]. The high‑profile event was framed as a personal pilgrimage but timed to boost the BJP’s Dalit outreach ahead of the 2027 Punjab elections [1]. Media reports note the visit underscores a strategic shift toward caste‑based campaigning in the state [1].

BJP Targets Dalit and OBC Voter Blocks for 2027 Elections The party is courting Punjab’s Scheduled Castes, who constitute 31.91 % of the state’s population per the 2011 Census, and Other Backward Classes, estimated at 25‑30 % of the electorate, to forge a new social‑engineering base [1]. Around three dozen Dalit castes, many aligned with Deras such as Radha Soami, Namdhari, and Dera Sach Khand Balan, influence at least 56 of Punjab’s 117 assembly seats, complicating unified voting patterns [1]. BJP leaders argue that consolidating these fragmented blocs could reshape Punjab’s caste‑based politics [1].

Haryana’s 2024 Electoral Gains Serve as Blueprint In neighboring Haryana, the BJP increased its tally in the 17 SC‑reserved seats from five in 2019 to eight in 2024, contributing to its overall victory [1]. CM Nayab Singh Saini, an OBC leader, toured Punjab to contrast Haryana’s ₹2,100 women‑assistance scheme with Punjab’s promised ₹1,100 benefit, highlighting the party’s OBC outreach model [1]. The BJP seeks to replicate Haryana’s caste‑focused strategy by combining Dalit engagement with OBC incentives in Punjab [1].

Punjab Electoral Performance Remains Limited Despite Outreach After breaking with the Shiromani Akali Dal in 2020, the BJP absorbed Sikh figures such as former CM Amarinder Singh, minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Hindu leader Sunil Jakhar, and promoted initiatives like the 1984‑riots SIT, Kartarpur Corridor, and GST waiver on langar [1]. Nevertheless, the party secured only two seats in the 2022 state assembly and none in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, despite raising its vote share to 18.56 % [1]. Analysts caution that the effectiveness of the multi‑pronged social engineering effort remains unproven [1].