On the penultimate day of campaigning, before the first phase of polling, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi will be attending meetings in partially Maoist-dominated Bastar Division of south Chattisgarh.

While Mr. Modi will be addressing a rally in Jagdalpur around 1 PM, Mr. Gandhi will attend three public meetings and one road show.

Following the Jagdalpur meeting Mr. Modi will leave for capital Raipur late afternoon. “Around 3-30 pm he will leave for Delhi,” noted a BJP release.

Chief Minister Raman Singh will proceed to his constituency in Rajnandgaon following Jagdalpur meeting and attend a public rally in Rajnandgaon. He will later head for Raipur.

Mr. Gandhi has planned to spend the night in Chattisgarh. He will be addressing three public meetings and one road show at Rajnandgaon and stay over.

On Saturday he will attend three meetings, including one at Jagdalpur and return to Delhi, said Sailesh Nitin Trivedi, Congress spokesperson in the State.