Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday turned the swearing-in ceremony for Haryana’s newly elected BJP government into a powerful demonstration of unity and strength for the NDA, a strategic move ahead of the elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

Modi led the ceremony at the Panchkula Parade ground near Chandigarh, with prominent BJP leaders, 18 chief ministers and 16 deputy chief ministers from the party and NDA-ruled states in attendance. The gathering marked the largest show of strength by the BJP leadership since the formation of the third Modi government.

Among the attendees were Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his deputy Pawan Kalyan, as well as chief ministers from the Northeast and Maharashtra’s Eknath Shinde, representing the Shiv Sena.

Earlier this month, the BJP secured a historic third consecutive term in Haryana, with Nayab Singh Saini, an OBC leader, sworn in as chief minister on Thursday for the second time.

After a disappointing performance in the Lok Sabha elections, where the party got only 240 of the 543 seats, the BJP aimed to use Thursday’s event to reinforce its dominance and build momentum for the upcoming polls in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

The timing of the swearing-in, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Valmiki, a revered Dalit saint and the author of the Ramayana, was a strategic choice intended to resonate with Dalit communities.

The party’s lacklustre performance in the general election earlier this year had been attributed to, among other reasons, concerns among Dalits about possible changes to the Constitution to end reservation.

To further consolidate support, Modi on Thursday hosted a meeting with NDA chief ministers and deputies at a Chandigarh hotel, focusing on “Samvidhan Ka Amrut Mahotsav (75 years of the Constitution)” and “commemorating the 50th anniversary of Emergency”.