‘Even though BJP not in power here...’: PM Modi's big rail, road push in Punjab ahead of elections

PRime government minister Narendra Modi on fri inaugurated and set the grounding lapidate of rail and road infrastructure projects worth ₹5,470 crore in Jalandhar at an official function, and said at a BJP rally later that the Centre would continue to push development in Punjab even though his party is not in power in the state.“Although BJP is not in power in Punjab, the Centre is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the state's development,” Modi said at the rally, as per news agency PTI. “Only the BJP can bring real change in Punjab,” he added.He claimed that the BJP, which has never held power on its own in the Sikh-majority state, will work to make Punjab developed and self-reliant: “New investments will come to Punjab, new employment opportunities will be created in Punjab, products made in Punjab will reach every corner of the world — these tasks will be accomplished by the BJP alone.” Modi said, as per posts on the BJP's official X handle.Modi also launched attacks on the ruling AAP and the main opposition Congress in Punjab. “The chair-politics in Congress in Punjab never ends. They are not fighting for what benefits Punjab; their fight is over who gets to keep the chair,” he said, apparently referring to a rift between state Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and a camp led by former CM Charanjit Singh Channi.‘Kattar be-imaan’ dig at Kejriwal-led AAPTargeting the AAP government led by CM Bhagwant Mann, and the party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Modi also tok a dig at Kejriwal's self-description as “kattar imaandar”.He said, “The party that is in government in Punjab today has neither a clear intention nor is it honest. Its very identity is that of a ‘kattar beimaan’ (staunchly dishonest) party.”He also raised the law and order situation in the state.Focusing on the development of railways, the main theme of his official engagements in Punjab and Haryana on Friday, Modi also took aim at the previous Congress-led government at the Centre, saying it had made false announcements about new trains and then “sat back” without following through.Friday's visit was his second to Jalandhar this year, after he visited the Dera Sachkhand Ballan, a prominent centre of the Dalits who form the Ravidassia sect, in February.It is being read as political outreach ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly polls, which the BJP is preparing to contest on its own as its alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal broke during the farmers' protest of 2020-21.Modi reached Jalandhar after unveiling projects in Chandigarh and in Haryana's Jind, where he had earlier in the day flagged off India's first hydrogen-powered train.Railway stations and new linesIn all, physically and mostly virtually, PM Modi inaugurated 75 redeveloped railway stations across 20 states under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. Four of these are in Punjab: Jalandhar Cantonment, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Sri Muktsar Sahib and Sri Anandpur Sahib.The prime minister also inaugurated the Daulatpur Chowk-Kartoli new rail line, built at a cost of around ₹830 crore as part of the Nangal Dam-Talwara-Mukerian New Rail Line Project. Officials said the line would strengthen rail connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, benefiting the districts of Hoshiarpur and Una, and would improve access to religious destinations including Shri Anandpur Sahib and the Maa Chintpurni Temple.Modi flagged off the Kartoli-Ambala train service, which officials said would improve connectivity across Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.Sant Ravidas ExpressHe flagged off the Sant Ravidas Express too, linking Amritsar and Varanasi. The direct service has been a long-standing demand of the Ravidassia community in Punjab, coming ahead of Guru Ravidas's 650th Parkash Purab celebrations at his birthplace, Seer Govardhanpur, in Varanasi.After arriving in Jalandhar, Modi was seen at the Jalandhar Cantt railway station with Sachkhand Ballan Dera chief Niranjan Dass, who was given a Padma award recently.Road pushBesides the railwat projects, the PM inaugurated or laid the foundation stones of national highway projects worth over ₹3,070 crore.He inaugurated the 30.9-km-long 'Package 6' of the four-lane greenfield Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway. He laid the foundation stone for a 25.2-km six-lane greenfield Southern Ludhiana Bypass.