Overview
- The three-day Maghi Mela opened on January 13 in Sri Muktsar Sahib, drawing devotees from across Punjab and neighbouring states.
- AAP mounted a state-level programme on Kotkapura Road led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, its first Maghi political event since 2016.
- SAD held its conference at the SGPC ground with Sukhbir Singh Badal leading mobilisation, while the BJP staged its maiden Maghi conference on Malaut Road with senior leaders present.
- The Congress skipped a rally at the fair, saying it is adhering to the Akal Takht’s directive discouraging political events during the religious occasion.
- Security matched 2016 levels with over 6,000 police, seven-sector deployment, CCTV and drone surveillance, a 300‑metre no-vehicle zone and control rooms, as reports of state-run buses ferrying AAP attendees drew Congress allegations of misuse.