As the political fervour in Bihar intensifies ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the state again on Tuesday, marking his second appearance in less than a week.
Modi's itinerary includes a visit to the town of Bettiah, the administrative centre of West Champaran district, where in the afternoon he will announce the launch of development projects valued at Rs 12,800 crore.
In anticipation of Modi's visit, former Bihar BJP President Sanjay Jaiswal, currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the region, released a video message. He called upon the populace to gather in vast numbers to greet "the most beloved member of our family," a sentiment that echoes the BJP's 'Modi ka Parivaar' campaign and seems to counter RJD president Lalu Prasad's recent barbs made at a Patna rally on Sunday.
Prasad, whose family members, including his de facto successor Tejashwi Yadav, are all politically active, had taken a swipe at Modi, mocking the Prime Minister for not having a family.
The RJD chief's comments were seen as a retort to Modi's critiques during consecutive rallies in the Aurangabad and Begusarai districts of the state, where he had announced projects exceeding Rs 1.5 lakh crore. During these rallies, Modi had taken a dig at the RJD and Congress, accusing them of masquerading corruption and nepotism as social justice.
Modi also expressed satisfaction over the consolidation of the BJP-led NDA's position in Bihar, especially after reinstating Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) to the fold, thereby disrupting Kumar's previous alignment with the RJD, Congress, and Left parties—a strategic move considered critical for the NDA's prospects in the state.
With the Election Commission poised to declare the Lok Sabha polls and enforce the model code of conduct imminently, the Prime Minister has been actively touring the country to initiate various development projects.
Among the key initiatives to be inaugurated in Bettiah are an LPG pipeline between Motihari and Muzaffarpur, and an Indian Oil LPG bottling and storage plant in Motihari, both set to be introduced to the public by Modi.
According to Danish Eqbal, the state BJP media co-incharge, the Prime Minister's aircraft is scheduled to land at Kushinagar airport in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, approximately 100 km from Bettiah. Modi will then travel to the event venue by helicopter.
Follow us
