Jalandhar, Nov 13: Gearing up for the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab, the BJP is set to launch a high-profile outreach programme with party president Nitin Nabin flagging off the Samrasta Yatra from Jalandhar on November 18. The procession marks the 650th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas and seeks to consolidate support among the influential Ravidassia community.
Starting near Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Ballan village, the yatra will cover 46 cities across Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, finally culminating in Varanasi on December 5. “It will start from near Dera Ballan Sachkhand in Jalandhar on November 18. BJP President Nitin Nabin will flag it off and address a massive gathering on the occasion,” a senior BJP source confirmed.
As the largest and most prominent spiritual centre of the Ravidassias—a key Dalit socio-religious group in Punjab—Dera Sachkhand Ballan has long shaped the community’s social and political influence. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the dera, Nabin’s upcoming rally underscores the party’s concerted push to woo this vital electoral swing group.
