BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decked up the city with its banners and buntings to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party workers who will be arriving in the city from across the state for its mega rally on Sunday afternoon.
Many roads, especially those near Palace Grounds, the rally venue, have been draped in saffron banners and buntings. It looks as if the party leaders are vying for space to put up banners with their photograph welcoming the prime minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit is expected to boost BJP’s campaign ahead of assembly elections scheduled in April or May.
Around 4 lakh people will attend the mega rally which is being held after BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’. BJP president Amit Shah had launched ‘Parivartan Yatra’ from the city on November 2 and the yatra will culminate with Sunday’s rally that will be addressed by Modi.
The party leaders said Modi’s visit will help the party further boost the momentum it has gained after the Parivartana Yatra.
The party, however, is on backfoot on the Mahadayi issue. State government, pro-Kannada outfits and farmers demanding implementation of Kalasa-Banduri project by solving inter-state river water dispute have demanded the Prime Minister’s intervention.
The farmers and pro-Kannada outfits had given a call for Bengaluru bandh on Sunday. It was called off after the Karnataka High Court declared it as “unconstitutional.”
The prime minister, according to state BJP leaders, is unlikely to touch upon the Mahadayi issue. BJP president Amit Shah too had not spoken about the issue during the party rallies. All senior BJP leaders from the state and many central ministers and national general secretaries will attend Sunday’s rally.
Parking banned on some roads
Parking is banned in the following areas from 6am to 8pm: Ramana Maharshi Road, CV Raman Road, Ballari Road from Hebbal flyover, HQTC and Mekhri Circle, Jayamahal Road, Taralabalu Road, MV Jayaram Road, Palace Road, Palace Cross Road, RT Nagar Main Road, Water Tank junction to Gundu Rao’s residence, PRTC Junction to Water Tank junction, Old Airport Road, Cubbon Road and Chalukya Circle.
