BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit Odisha twice in the next one week to bolster BJP’s election campaign in the state.
BJP national president JP Nadda and other senior leaders are also scheduled to visit the state to release the party’s manifesto and give push to campaign activities of candidates for the ensuing elections.
BJP state unit leaders said the prime minister will reach Bhubaneswar at around 9.30 pm on Sunday and make a night halt. He will address two public rallies in Berhampur and Nabarangpur the next day. Modi will hold a mega roadshow in the state capital on May 10 and address a public meeting in Balangir the next day to canvas for BJP candidates.
“The visit of the prime minister will give a new direction to the party’s campaigning in the state and also pave way for a positive change in the elections,” said BJP state unit vice-president Golak Mohapatra.
“The next three days will be crucial for us as our national president JP Nadda will also visit the state on Sunday to release the party’s election manifesto here,” he said.
The saffron party has already escalated its battle against BJD with the prime minister himself taking the lead with his recent ‘Odia Asmita’ remark in a TV interview. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah during their recent visit to the state had also attacked the regional party asking voters to throw BJD government out to make Odisha number 1 in the country.
Similarly, Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his media address here on Saturday called for support to BJP for formation of a government in the state that could work in close-co-ordination with the Modi government at Centre to expedite development and progress in Odisha.
Party sources said senior BJP leaders including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma will also visit different parts of the state to canvass for the BJP candidates.