PM to visit poll-bound Raj on Oct 6, 2nd time in a week

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Rajasthan on Saturday and will address a public rally, the culmination of Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra at Ajmer.

This would be the PM's fifth visit since January this year and second visit in a week to the state.

On January 16 he launched the oil refinery project in Pachpadra, Barmer. Then launched ambitious Central government plan—National Nutrition Campaign—which he kicked off from Jhunjhunu district on March 8 of this year.

Later, on July 7, PM Modi addressed more than 2 lakh direct beneficiaries of different government schemes. They were paraded by the government from different parts of the state. The high profile event was moderated by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje herself.

Recently, in the last week, the Prime Minister attended 'Parakram Parv', the anniversary celebrations of the surgical strikes at Jodhpur Military Base on September 28.

The statewide Gaurav Yatra commenced in August, initiated by CM Raje, to urge people to repose their faith in her government.

Shah also visited the state five times in last fortnight. While on September 16, Shah addressed the Gaurav Yatra in Jodhpur—a Congress stronghold and addressed a meeting of party workers in there.

However, reportedly, amid the intensified poll preparation, some of Sangh functionaries and party leaders in the state are critical of the government and how to connect with the people at a time when public anger was mounting with the incumbent government is the biggest challenge for the saffron party.

On the other side, opposition Congress is also set to counter these high-profile rallies through Rahul Gandhi's Bikaner rally on October 10, his third visit to the state in two months.

The Prime Minister will also offer prayers at the Brahma Temple in Pushkar on the same day of his rally, October 6, before leaving for New Delhi.

The Assembly elections are due in Rajasthan later this year. The state will go for polls in 200 seats. In the last elections, BJP won 160 seats, where Congress bagged 25 seats in their favour, Bahujan Samaj Party-2, National Peoples Party-1, National Unionist Zamindara Party-2 and independent candidates won 7 seats.