Don’t trouble Bengaluru public during my visit: PM to govt

BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed state government officials to ensure that motorists are not put to any inconvenience during his visit to Bengaluru on November 11. The PM will be in Bengaluru to attend several programmes, including flagging off the Vande Bharat Express, unveiling a Kempegowda statue and addressing a rally near the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The Vande Bharat Express will run between Mysuru- Bengaluru-Chennai.

During a video conference, Modi directed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and other senior state government officers to make arrangements for all his programmes in such a way that people do not face any difficulty, said an official. On November 11, the PM will arrive at the HAL Airport in the city around 10 am. He will flag off the Vande Bharat Express at Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station. From the station, he will take a helicopter to the Kempegowda International Airport where he will inaugurate the second terminal of the airport and unveil an 108-foot tall Kempegowda statue. He will also address a public rally near the airport before leaving for Andhra Pradesh around 2 pm.

Sources said around two lakh people are expected to attend the PM’s rally near the airport. The government recently launched a campaign to collect sacred soil from across the state to be used for the development of a Kempegowdathemed park at the airport.

The state government’s decision to invite the PM to unveil the statue and address the rally is seen as an attempt by the ruling BJP to woo the dominant Vokkaliga community in the Old Mysuru region ahead of the 2023 assembly polls. The Old Mysuru region is crucial for the BJP, which is making all efforts to retain power in the state.