Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jalandhar on July 17, marking his second visit to the city in less than five months. During his nearly 90-minute visit, the Prime Minister will inaugurate railway and infrastructure projects worth around ₹5,500 crore, including the redeveloped Jalandhar Cantonment Railway Station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. He will also virtually inaugurate 75 redeveloped railway stations across the country, including five in Punjab.
A key highlight of the visit will be the flagging off of the Shri Guru Ravidas Ji Maharaj Express, connecting Chheharta (Amritsar) with Varanasi. The new train is expected to strengthen religious tourism by connecting Punjab’s Ravidassia community with Guru Ravidas Janam Asthan in Varanasi, one of the holiest sites for followers of Guru Ravidas.
This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Jalandhar after his February 1, 2026 visit, when he attended the 649th Guru Ravidas Jayanti celebrations at Dera Sachkhand Ballan. During that visit, he also inaugurated and renamed Adampur Airport as Shri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport, another symbolic gesture towards the Ravidassia community.
The answer lies in Doaba, Punjab’s most politically sensitive region for Scheduled Caste politics.
The Doaba region—comprising Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar—has 23 Assembly constituencies and nearly 45% Scheduled Caste population, the highest in Punjab. Punjab itself has around 32% Scheduled Caste population, the highest among all Indian states.
At the centre of this social and political landscape is Dera Sachkhand Ballan, regarded as the spiritual headquarters of the Ravidassia community. Because of its immense influence, leaders from almost every political party have traditionally visited the dera before major elections.
23 Assembly constituencies
Around 45% Scheduled Caste population
Punjab has India’s highest SC population (around 32%)
Dera Sachkhand Ballan has influence across much of the Doaba belt
Ravidassia voters play a decisive role in several constituencies
Party Seats
AAP: 10
Congress: 9
SAD: 1
BJP: 1
BSP: 1
Independent: 1
Bholath: Sukhpal Singh Khaira,Congress
Kapurthala: Rana Gurjit Singh, Congress
Sultanpur Lodhi: Rana Inder Partap Singh, Independent
Phagwara: Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Congress
Phillaur: Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, Congress
Nakodar: Inderjit Kaur Mann, AAP
Shahkot: Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia, Congress
Kartarpur: Balkar Singh, AAP
Jalandhar West: Sheetal Angural, AAP
Jalandhar Central: Raman Arora, AAP
Jalandhar North: Avtar Singh Junior, Congress
Jalandhar Cantt: Pargat Singh, Congress
Adampur: Sukhwinder Singh Kotli, Congress
Mukerian: Jangi Lal Mahajan, BJP
Dasuya: Karambir Singh, AAP
Urmar: Jasvir Singh Raja Gill, AAP
Sham Chaurasi: Dr. Ravjot Singh, AAP
Hoshiarpur: Bram Shanker (Jimpa), AAP
Chabbewal: Dr. Raj Kumar, Congress
Garhshankar: Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, AAP
Banga: Dr. Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, SAD
Nawanshahr: Dr. Nachhatar Pal, BSP
Balachaur: Santosh Kumari Kataria, AAP
Note: These are 2022 election result, some MLAs have since changed parties or the seats have witnessed bypolls.
Doaba has consistently changed Punjab’s political direction.
2012: SAD-BJP alliance dominated the region.
2017: Congress swept most of the seats.
2022: AAP emerged as the single largest party with 10 seats, while Congress remained close with 9 seats.
This changing political pattern has made Doaba the most closely watched electoral region in Punjab.
The political landscape in Doaba has witnessed several significant changes since the 2022 Assembly elections, with three MLAs changing parties or positions:
Sheetal Angural (Jalandhar West): Elected as an AAP MLA in 2022, he resigned from the party in 2024 and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He later contested the Jalandhar West by-election on a BJP ticket but was defeated. The seat is now represented by Mohinder Bhagat (AAP).
Dr. Raj Kumar (Chabbewal): After winning the 2022 Assembly election on a Congress ticket, he was elected as the Member of Parliament from Hoshiarpur in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Following his resignation as MLA, the Chabbewal Assembly by-election was won by Dr. Ishank Kumar (AAP).
Dr. Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi (Banga): The only Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA from Doaba in the 2022 Assembly elections, he later joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2024, reducing SAD’s legislative presence in the region.
Political analysts believe Prime Minister Modi’s repeated visits to Jalandhar and Dera Sachkhand Ballan reflect the BJP’s broader social engineering strategy in Punjab. Rather than relying only on its traditional urban support base, the party has steadily expanded its outreach among Scheduled Castes, particularly the Ravidassia community, which has a significant presence across Doaba.
Over the past five months, the Prime Minister has visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan, renamed Adampur Airport after Guru Ravidas, and is now launching the Shri Guru Ravidas Ji Maharaj Express connecting Punjab with Varanasi. These initiatives combine religious symbolism with infrastructure development and are widely seen as an effort to build a deeper emotional and political connect with one of Punjab’s most influential communities.
With 23 Assembly seats, nearly 45% Scheduled Caste population, and the influence of Dera Sachkhand Ballan, Doaba is expected to remain a decisive battleground in the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. Political observers say the Prime Minister’s second visit to Jalandhar in just five months underlines that the BJP sees the region not only as a development hub but also as the cornerstone of its long-term strategy to expand its footprint in Punjab.