PUDUCHERRY: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to formally launch BJP’s election campaign in the poll-bound Puducherry at a party rally in Lawspet on Thursday. This is in the backdrop of the party going full-swing in its efforts to come to power with its allies - AINRC and AIADMK - in Puducherry.
The party has already begun the poll preparation three months back at the block, district, and State levels, said V Saminathan, State BJP president. Around one lakh people are expected to participate in the rally, where the Prime Minister would present the vision that the NDA government has for Puducherry and ensure a ‘Congress-free’ Union Territory, he added.
The strategies for breaking into the bastions of Congress in Puducherry, where it has been in power for most of the years since the first elections held in 1964 through “Operation Lotus” have already been taking shape. The first being, removal of Kiran Bedi as the Lt Governor and replacing her with Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, former BJP state president of Tamil Nadu.
With Kiran Bedi’s activities, the BJP started seeing her as more of a liability, as the ruling Congress ran a campaign against her, thereby gaining political mileage. The saffron party, followed it up by dethroning the Congress-DMK government, aided by nominated MLAs, who are BJP functionaries.
With the Congress out of power and the Opposition not staking claim to form the government, Puducherry is set to come under President’s rule. There would be absence of Chief Minister at the event in which the Prime Minister would lay the foundation stone for a slew of projects here on Thursday.
The new projects estimated to be around Rs 3,000 crore are said to be in line with the vision of the Prime Minister for a “New India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, as they are expected to change the socio-economic landscape of the area with new opportunities, said a PIB release.
While showering development projects, Modi is also expected to hit out at the Congress government for its shortfalls in the UT. Already the BJP has claimed that the resignation of MLAs were due to their dissatisfaction with the Narayanasamy government. While the Prime Minister will be addressing the Puducherry people, Union Minister Home Minister Amit Shah would be visiting Karaikal shortly after him.
Holiday declared for all schools today
Puducherry: Holiday has been announced for all schools in Puducherry region on Thursday ahead of Prime Minister’s visit to the union territory. Due to traffic diversions made for the PM’s visit, students will face difficulties in reaching schools, said a release