PM likely to visit Odisha twice in February

Bhubaneswar, Jan 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Odisha twice in February, state BJP president Manmohan Samal said on Sunday.

Modi, who is scheduled to visit Odisha's Sambalpur on February 3 and address a public meeting, may also visit the state capital on February 10 when the saffron party holds its national women's conference here, Samal said.

"The party has decided to hold two women's conferences, one in Madhya Pradesh and the second in Odisha in February. The prime minister is likely to attend the women's conference in Odisha tentatively on February 10. The PM has given his consent to attend it," Samal said, adding that the details of the February 10 programme will be announced soon. He said around 25,000 women from 14 states are likely to attend the Mahila Samavesh, which is being seen as an attempt by the BJP to make a dent into the trusted women vote bank of Biju Janata Dal.

Earlier in the day, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who hails from Odisha had indicated regarding the PM's programme in the coastal region of Odisha after the tour of the western region on February 3.

Samal claimed that around 1.5 lakh people will congregate at Remed Ground in Sambalpur to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 3. "People of Sambalpur and neighbouring districts are eagerly waiting to listen from the prime minister", he said.

On February 3 visit, the PM will attend a programme at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Sambalpur and thereafter address a public meeting at Remed Ground. PTI