The Punjab BJP has announced four ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatras’ beginning September 18, covering all 117 Assembly constituencies and nearly 4,000 kilometres across the state.
The first yatra will begin from Madhopur in Pathankot, while the other three will start from Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka and Bathinda. The campaign will conclude in Jalandhar on September 30, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to address a gathering.
The BJP is presenting the campaign as an effort to fight Punjab’s drug problem. However, the party is also linking the issue with crime, corruption and law and order, putting the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government under political pressure.
The BJP has also called for stronger coordination between the Punjab Police, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies to tackle drug trafficking.
The timing of the campaign is significant as Punjab moves closer to the 2027 Assembly elections. While the BJP has described the yatras as a campaign against drugs, the plan to cover all 117 constituencies in just 13 days has given the initiative a clear political dimension.
The campaign is expected to put the issue of drug abuse and law and order at the centre of Punjab’s political debate in the run-up to the 2027 elections.
