The BJP has announced that it will stage a major show of strength at the annual Rakharpunya Jor Mela held at Baba Bakala in Amritsar this year. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will share the stage, marking the first time BJP will put up its own solo political stage at the historic Sikh Jor Mela.Confirming the development, BJP Amritsar president Harwinder Singh Sandhu said the party is now preparing for a major show of strength in the Majha region ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election. “It will be a show of strength for us and party workers are working on the arrangements. We expect some senior national leaders to share the stage and give impetus to our outreach programme,” he said.This is the first large-scale event being organised by BJP at Rakharpunya Jor Mela, signalling the start of the party’s campaign for the Punjab election. Despite political rumours of a renewed alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), having a solo stage at the politically significant Jor Mela raises the stakes in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly election.The BJP high command has already made it clear that the party is preparing to contest all 117 Assembly seats in Punjab on its own. The party has already sent messages to its grassroots workers to ensure large-scale participation in the event.Held at the site where Guru Tegh Bahadur was revealed as the ninth Sikh Guru, Rakharpunya Jor Mela carries deep religious legitimacy and provides a conducive platform for mass outreach. It is considered an ideological battleground for political parties and a critical venue for debate on Sikh panthic and regional issues, to gauge public sentiment and for parties to display their strength.With this announcement, many in the party feel that BJP has expressed its intention to reach out to rural and panthic voters.