VISAKHAPATNAM: Weeks after he was forced out of the City of Destiny, Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Modi will arrive at INS Dega around 7.25 pm on Friday, where he will be received by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan.
The Prime Minister will take part in a roadshow on Friday from Maruti Junction at INS Dega to the Naval Dockyard.On Saturday, he will address a public gathering at Andhra University Engineering College ground and launch works for projects worth Rs 15,000 crore.
Pawan, who had received a telephonic call from the Prime Minister’s Office asking him to be available in Vizag from Friday evening, will arrive in a special flight. As Modi will be busy with the roadshow and BJP Core Committee meeting on Friday, the JSP chief is likely to have a one on one meeting with the Prime Minister on Saturday.
It has been learnt the actor-politician might discuss with Modi the recent developments in the State, besides the attitude of a few BJP State leaders. The JSP chief’s visit to Visakhapatnam is significant as it would be the first time he will set foot in the Steel City after October 15, when the Visakha Garjana rally was taken out in support of the government’s three-capitals proposal.
It may be recalled that a mob had attacked convoys of YSRC ministers and party leaders at the airport after the rally.Pawan had arrived in the city on the same day to take part in the party’s Jana Vani programme, but was denied permission after police cited law and order problem.
After he was served a notice and confined to his hotel for a couple of days following the attack on YSRC leaders, he left the city. Soon after, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu met the JSP chief and they both agreed that ‘all political parties should join hands to protect democracy in the State.’
Officials have stepped up arrangements for the rally after the BJP State leadership received an approval for it in the last minute.BJP leader Vishnuvardhan Reddy said the roadshow has been planned as a party programme to accord a grand reception to the Prime Minister. The saffron party has been mobilising people as a show of strength at the rally.
Later, Modi is likely to meet BJP State leaders to discuss the party’s political activities and lay out a roadmap for the future. Ahead of Modi’s visit, BJP State president Somu Veeraju, and other leaders, including Purandareswari and CM Ramesh arrived in the city.
Meanwhile, YSRC Regional Coordinator YV Subba Reddy, MP Vijayasai Reddy and IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath visited the AU Engineering College grounds and inspected arrangements ahead of Modi’s public meeting on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters, Vijayasai Reddy said the State government is organising the public meeting to extend a warm welcome to the Prime Minister. Stating that arrangements have been made in the sprawling ground spread across 30 acres, the MP said three lakh people from Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, Srikakulam, Vizinagaram and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts are expected to attend the programme. Asserting that the event was neither a political meeting nor an election meeting, he explained that they will hold discussion regarding the South Coastal Railway Zone.
He said launch of works for Bhogapuram airport could not be included in the PM’s itinerary due to paucity of time. On the agitation taken up by Vizag Steel Plant workers, he MP said the union will have to discuss the issue with BJP as it is the unit is run by the Centre.