The stage is set for a political showdown in Mysuru on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a rally of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home district.
The Prime Minister’s rally, which is the second in the State, is being seen as an effort by the BJP to flex its muscles in Mysuru region, where its political presence is not strong. The party is mobilising crowd from five districts of Mysuru, Mandya, Kodagu, Hassan, and Chamarajanagar for the rally being held at the Maharaja College grounds.
Mr. Modi will also be launching various development works on the occasion.
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After his arrival in Mysuru late on Sunday, Mr. Modi is scheduled to participate in a series of programmes at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district and Mysuru on Monday. He will proceed to Shravanabelagola by helicopter on Monday morning, where he will inaugurate the set of steps recently carved on the Vindhyagiri atop which the statue of Gomateshwara is situated. He is also scheduled to inaugurate the Bahubali General Hospital built by the Jain Mutt. The Archaeological Survey of India under the Ministry of Culture has carved the new set of steps.
The Prime Minister will take part in the programme to be held at Chavundaraya Mantap. As per a tentative schedule shared with the media, Mr. Modi will arrive at the venue and leaves in 45 minutes. The schedule does not include his visit to Vindhyagiri.
Governor Vajubhai Vala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, besides Union Ministers D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Ananth Kumar are expected to participate in the programme.
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Later, Mr. Modi will return to Mysuru by helicopter and proceed to the city railway station at 2.30 p.m. to inaugurate the electrified Mysuru-Bengaluru double-line railway track and flag off the Humsafar service to Udaipur.
Platforms reassigned
In view of his visit, all trains arriving and departing from Mysuru between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. have been assigned different platforms. A railway official said additional booking counters will be opened at the second entry to the station from the CFTRI side for the benefit of passengers.
Mr. Modi will then address the BJP rally.