DEHRADUN: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are set to visit the holy city of Haridwar in March, in what is being widely viewed as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s informal launch of its campaign for the 2027 Uttarakhand Assembly elections.
The visits are officially centred around preparations for the 2027 Ardh Kumbh and the fourth anniversary of the Pushkar Singh Dhami government, but political observers see them as strategically significant ahead of the polls.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive on March 7. His itinerary includes a major cooperative conference at Bairagi Camp and a high level review of the Ardh Kumbh preparations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to follow with a visit on March 23.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recently announced that the Centre has sanctioned a budget of Rs 500 crore for the 2027 Ardh Kumbh.
"The event will be organised in a grand, divine, and time bound manner," CM Dhami stated following a high level review meeting. "The Home Minister will personally inspect the sites and take feedback from officials to ensure a seamless experience for pilgrims."
Beyond the spiritual and administrative facade, the choice of Haridwar is being seen as deeply strategic. In the previous Assembly elections, the BJP faced setbacks in the district, losing key seats such as Haridwar Rural, Khanpur, Manglaur, and Piran Kaliyar.
Sources within the BJP indicated that Amit Shah will chair a crucial core committee meeting involving senior leaders, including former Chief Ministers Vijay Bahuguna and Tirath Singh Rawat. The agenda is expected to focus on reclaiming lost ground.
BJP State President Mahendra Bhatt confirmed the political significance of the visit. "The meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah will review preparations for the upcoming elections. We are looking to solidify our future strategy," Bhatt said.
However, the opposition was quick to dismiss the visits as a "diversionary tactic." Speaking to this newspaper, former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat described the events as a political stunt.
"The atmosphere being created in the state is a matter of concern," Rawat said. "If the Home Minister comes to a holy city like Haridwar to discuss genuine development, he is welcome. But misleading politics is not right.
The public has already made up its mind for change, even if the BJP sends the entire Central Cabinet to Uttarakhand."
As the state machinery works at a "war footing" to prepare for the VVIP arrivals, Haridwar is bracing for a politically significant month that could shape the state’s trajectory in the run up to the 2027 elections.