VISAKHAPATNAM: All eyes are now on November 12 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a mammoth public meeting in the city. Besides, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be sharing the dais with the prime minister for the second time in five months after Bhimavaram event on July 4. Though Modi is visiting the State for the second time, it is for the first time after 2019 elections, he is coming to Visakhapatnam, which is in focus in the wake of decentralisation plan of the YSRC government.
The BJP has been on a mission mode in the last couple of years to become a force in the State. BJP has made Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan as the party incharge of the key Visakhapatnam where it hopes to consolidate its position in the district. Now, the BJP sees the two-day visit of Modi as an opportunity to boost the morale of the party rank and file in the State. According to BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao, the PM’s visit will certainly help the BJP to take off in the State to the next level. Through the meeting, the BJP will assert that the projects are undertaken with the support and funds given by the Centre.
Though the public meeting scheduled to be held at the Andhra University Engineering College grounds is purely a government one, both the parties are going extra mile to claim credit of its success. According to BJP leaders, invitations have been sent to all political parties and the PMO is overseeing it. It is not clear whether Jana Sena, a key ally of the BJP, will attend or not.
The agenda of the meeting is limited to development. The BJP so as to gain further mileage and claim credit of the PM’s visit, has proposed a roadshow of Modi on Friday. He will participate in the roadshow from INS Dega to Naval Dockyard.Narasimha Rao said, “It is a great opportunity for the State and Vizag as the PM is launching or laying foundation stone for nine projects worth over `15,000 crore. Splinter groups and parties should not try to spoil the advantage for the State to get more projects.”
A group of BJP leaders is most likely to meet the PM and take issues facing the State to his notice. Various political parties, including TDP, and industry representatives have sought time to meet Modi. The BJP is also planning to host another programme for launching of the new railway zone, HPCL expansion, ESI, IIPE and so on. It wants to take the message to people that the projects are fully supported by the Centre.
Meanwhile, the YSRC government is leaving no stone unturned to make the meeting a huge success to impress Modi.
As per the directive of the chief minister, YSRC MP V Vijayasai Reddy has been monitoring all arrangements to mobilise over two lakh people for the meeting. “We are expecting over two lakh people and arrangements have been made to meet their needs. The meeting will be to honour Modi,” said Minister for IT Gudivada Amarnath.In the shadow boxing of the two parties for supremacy, it will be known in two days, who will be the winner after the visit of the PM to Vizag, which has emerged as the political hotbed of the State.