Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Punjab on February 1

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Punjab this week. He will arrive in Jalandhar on February 1st, where he will pay his respects at Dera Sachkhand Ballan. Former Ludhiana MP and Union Minister of State, Ravneet Bittu, confirmed this, stating that PM Modi will arrive in Punjab at 4 PM on February 1st.

It is worth noting that on January 25th, Sant Niranjan Das Ji of Dera Sachkhand Ballan was selected for the Padma Shri award. This visit by the PM is taking place after this announcement. The PM's visit is being seen as the BJP's entry into the Doaba belt of Punjab ahead of the 2027 elections. The BJP is targeting this belt.

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said that the budget session is scheduled for the day of the PM's visit. The PM will reach Dera Ballan around 4 PM after the session. He mentioned that year-round religious gatherings are held at the Dera. However, he emphasized that this visit should not be linked to politics.

Influence of the Dera in Doaba
The PM's visit is also being interpreted as an indication that the BJP has now focused its attention on the 2027 assembly elections. Doaba is Punjab's NRI belt and has a significant Dalit vote bank. There are approximately 23 seats in Doaba, where the Dera's influence is considered significant. The Dera itself does not participate in politics in any way, but the devotees make their voting decisions based on the leaders who visit the Dera.

Election Results in Doaba in 2022

In the 2022 assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 10 seats. The Congress won 9, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won 2, and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and an independent candidate each won one seat.

In 2017, out of the 23 seats in Doaba, Congress won 15. The BJP secured only one seat, while the Akali Dal won 5 seats. PM had come to assess the flood situation

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Punjab on September 9, 2025, when the state was grappling with floods. During this visit, the Prime Minister conducted an aerial survey of Punjab along with Himachal Pradesh. He also met with farmers in the Gurdaspur army area. He held meetings with ministers and officials of the Punjab government and announced financial assistance of ₹1,600 crore.