Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), May 14: Changes have been made to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s upcoming visit to Odisha as the BJP gears up for another round of intensive campaigning ahead of the second-round elections in the state on May 20.
Scheduled to arrive on May 15, Shah’s itinerary originally included stops in Rourkela and Kantabanji, the latter being the second seat contested by BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. However, according to BJP sources, these locations have been omitted.
Instead, Shah will focus on campaigning in Soroda and Boudh, culminating in a grand roadshow in Cuttack. Lalatendu Badu, BJP’s Cuttack Nagar president, disclosed that the roadshow will commence around 4 pm from Gopabandhu Park, starting at Barabati Stadium and ending at Chandi Mandir Square. The route will cover significant areas in Cuttack, including Buxi Bazaar, Tinikonia Bagicha, Dargha Bazaar, Choudhry Bazaar, Naya Sarak, Balu Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, and Mohammadia Bazaar, before concluding at Chandi Mandir Chhak.
Shah had previously launched the BJP’s campaign in Odisha from Sonepur on April 26. Additionally, BJP national president J P Nadda is set to campaign in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s constituency, Hinjili in Ganjam district, on May 17, while also addressing rallies in Sundargarh and Padampur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also slated to visit Odisha on May 20, adding to the heightened political activity in the state.
