After BJP’s national executive meet at Bhubaneswar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day long visit to his poll bound home-State from diamond city Surat with a mega roadshow from airport to circuit house on Sunday evening.
The 11-km route of the roadshow decked up with colourful lights, created a Diwali like atmosphere in the commercial capital of South Gujarat. Different schemes and achievements of Modi Government were depicted using technology en-route the show. A laser show describing PM Modi’s initiatives including that of Digital India, Clean India etc gave electrifying effect to the show of strength. large sized lED screens added colour to the mega show.
Even before his arrival at the Magdalla airport, lakhs of people were seen standing on both sides of the roads right from airport to circuit house to have a glimpse of the Prime Minister. Modi received a hero’s welcome as his cavalcade passed through different areas. People, who waited to have a glimpse of their top leader, welcomed hi, with chanting slogans ‘Dekho Dekho Kaun Aaya, Gujarat Ka Sher Aaya’ and ‘Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi.’
The uniqueness of the roadshow was its theme of ‘saree’ linking Surat’s another identity as hub of textile industry. A 12,000 feet long saree displayed with digital printing coupled with Modi’s 22 feet tall statue and a rally of 25,000 motorcycles ridden by around 50,000 men and women were chief attractions of the road-show. A group of students welcomed Modi by blowing conches (Shankh Naad).
This is Modi’s first visit to Surat after he became the Prime Minister in May 2014 and first visit to Gujarat post BJP’s emphatic win in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The roadshow which began at around 7.15 pm completed the 11-km long stretched at a snail’s pace in nearly two hours. Modi held a meeting with the top BJP leaders in Gujarat, including Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, State BJP president Jitu Vaghani and others at Surat circuit house after the roadshow.
On Monday morning, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a Patidar community funded Rs 400 crore hospital project in Surat. He will also inaugurate a diamond polishing unit situated at Diamond Bourse SEZ at Icchapore in the outskirts of the city.
later on, he would inaugurate cattle-feed plant as well as an ice-cream plant belonging to Surat District Cooperative Milk Producers Union better known as Sumul Dairy at Bajipura village in tribal dominated Tapi district. Modi will also address a public rally there, which would be attended by at least 4 lakh people, mainly farmers and tribal people, as per the claim of Surat BJP leaders.
Post public meeting, Modi will address a gathering at Silvassa town, a part of Union Territory Dadra & Nagar Haveli situated near South Gujarat town Vapi. By early evening on the day, he would reach Botad town in Saurashtra region to inaugurate the first phase of the Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) project. He will also lay the foundation stone for the second phase of SAUNI.
As many as 115 dams of the Saurashtra region would be filled with overflowing water of Sardar Sarovar Dam constructed on River Narmada.
After he became Prime Minister, this is Modi’s 11th visit to Gujarat. With Assembly election are due by December 2017, the most popular leader of the saffron brigade is expected not only to visit his home-State but also to ensure victory.