Even as the political blame-game continues between State BJP and ruling parties over allocation of Morhabadi grounds for BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s December 29 rally, the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) limited has given the green light to the State BJP for using the Prabhat Tara ground under its administrative jurisdiction to hold the rally.
With this the ground has been finalised as the venue for the rally by the BJP, though the state unit has to officially announce it. However, State president Ravindra Rai said that they had kept an alternative but were still seeking the Morhabadi ground from the administration. “I have announced today in Garhwa that we are ready with the alternative but will continue fighting for our case. You may expect some announcement tomorrow when I will return to Ranchi,” Rai said.
Meanwhile, former MP Ajay Maroo, who has been involved in the venue searching exercise, said that the Prabhat Tara ground was almost final venue for the rally. “Bookings have been done for seven days (December 23-29) and we have also made the requisite payments to HEC administration for the purpose. From tomorrow onwards people from tent house would survey the place to begin their work as soon as possible,” Maroo said.
HEC officials also confirmed that the request for bookings had come to them on Tuesday and payments have also been made by the BJP. “We received the request yesterday for booking of Prabhat Tara ground for seven days. Since the place was not busy for any other occasion, we have granted it to the BJP for seven days and they have also paid us the full amount at Rs 13,000 per day,” said an HEC official who did not wish to be named.
“We just need to issue an office order to complete the formalities and that will be done by tomorrow,” he added.
The BJP has begun the preparations for the rally with frequent meetings and discussions. A crucial meeting in this regard has been called at the State headquarters on December 6 in which State in-charge Ramapati Tripathi, State president Ravindra Rai and leader of Opposition Arjun Munda will be presnt in the meeting attended by several senior leaders of the State and workers.