Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday began a roadshow in Varanasi during the second day of his two-day visit, drawing large crowds along the route, BJP leaders said.
The roadshow started from Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) and is scheduled to pass through Lahartara, Kachahri, Ambedkar Chauraha, Chaukaghat, Teliyabag, Lahurabir and Maidagin before culminating at the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, where the Prime Minister will offer prayers.
BJP media in-charge Arvind Mishra said residents and party workers gathered in large numbers to welcome the Prime Minister, lining the entire route. Supporters were seen raising slogans like “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Shri Ram” as Modi greeted them by waving and folding his hands.
According to Mishra, multiple welcome points were set up along the nearly 14-km route, where party workers and locals greeted the Prime Minister with rose petals, drum beats and conch shells. Party leaders described the roadshow as one of the largest ever held in the city, with heavy crowds seen on both sides of the roads.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the 594-km Ganga Expressway, a major infrastructure project connecting Meerut to Prayagraj, officials said.
The high-speed corridor is expected to significantly improve connectivity across Uttar Pradesh and boost industrial investment, logistics, agricultural marketing and regional development.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a post on X, said the project would mark a new phase in the state’s development journey, describing the expressway as a “lifeline” connecting villages, farmers, entrepreneurs and youth.
Union Minister and BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary also welcomed the inauguration, calling it one of the longest expressways in the country and a major infrastructure gift to Uttar Pradesh.
According to an official statement, the Prime Minister is expected to reach Hardoi around 11 am to inaugurate the expressway, visit an exhibition by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), plant saplings, and address a public gathering before departing in the afternoon.
The expressway connects 12 districts, including Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj. It is expected to significantly reduce travel time and ensure faster, safer and more efficient movement.
Developed under a public-private partnership model, the six-lane expressway is designed for speeds of up to 120 kmph and has provisions for expansion to eight lanes.
A key feature of the project is a 3.2-km airstrip near Shahjahanpur for emergency landing of Air Force aircraft. The corridor is also equipped with an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), CCTV surveillance, emergency call boxes, ambulances and patrolling units.
Integrated manufacturing and logistics clusters (IMLCs) are being developed along the route, including warehouses, cold storage units and food processing hubs to attract investment and generate employment.
The expressway will also be linked with other major corridors such as Purvanchal, Agra-Lucknow, Bundelkhand and Gorakhpur Link expressways, creating a wider transport network across the state.
Officials said the project is expected to generate large-scale employment and support Uttar Pradesh’s goal of becoming a trillion-dollar economy.
(With inputs from PTI)