Mega rallies, speeches... busy 2 weeks for Modi on campaign trail in 4 states

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a packed schedule for two weeks as he plans to tour four states that will be going to polls soon. Trademark speeches, multimedia campaigns, mega rallies, inaugurations — all of these will be held as Modi reaches out to voters in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

While the BJP seeks to replace the incumbent government in West Bengal, it plans to make a dent in states in which it has a drawn a blank so far, such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Modi will first visit Kerala, where he is set to inaugurate several development projects. In Kerala the BJP, with only a single MLA in the assembly, has a long way to go, but the party is trying to carve a place for itself.

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In his last visit to Kerala, Modi dedicated to the nation the propylene derivative petrochemical project of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), launched Ro-Ro vessels to operate between Bolghatty and Willingdon Island, and inaugurated the Sagarika International Cruise Terminal.

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On March 1, Modi will travel to Tamil Nadu. He has been trying to woo voters in the state by breaking the notion that the BJP is a north Indian party by speaking in English when he  visited Chennai to inaugurate the extension of Chennai Metro Rail Phase 1 and a Discovery Campus for IIT Madras. Modi has also been quoting famous Tamil poets in many national and international speeches, in an attempt to impress the voters of the state.

The PM plans to further strengthen the BJP’s alliance with the AIADMK to oppose the DMK. However, the AIADMK-BJP Alliance failed to strike a chord in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Modi hopes to reach out to voters in Puducherry, which has witnessed political drama involving Chief Minister V Narayanswamy and Lieutenant-Governor Kiran Bedi, who was sacked from her post on Tuesday (February 16).

On March 7, Modi will hold a mega rally at the iconic Brigade Ground in Kolkata and address gatherings in the state. Modi has visited West Bengal twice in the past few weeks. Other top BJP leaders like Amit Shah and JP Nadda have also frequently visited the state to woo the electorate. Several ministers from the TMC have defected to the BJP over the past few months, with campaigning in the state being marked with aggression and violence.

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The PM will then visit Assam, which he has visited twice in recent weeks. Besides meeting senior BJP functionaries and holding rallies, he is said to unveil various projects there. The Bodoland Territorial Council election in December, which hardliner United People’s Party Liberal won in alliance with the BJP, was viewed as a semi-final ahead of the assembly polls.