ochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Kerala this weekend in what would mark the official beginning of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's preparations for the assembly election slated to be held in a couple of months.
He will be visiting the state to dedicate to the country a slew of development projects at the BPCL refinery, Cochin Port Trust, Cochin Shipyard and FACT, all central public sector enterprises.
The PM will arrive on February 14 and dedicate the central projects worth thousands of crores in the afternoon.
He will inaugurate the propylene derivatives petrochemical project, which has been completed at the BPCL refinery at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore. He will also inaugurate the Kochi Port Trust’s international cruise terminal built at the Ernakulam wharf at a cost of Rs 25.72 crore.
He will also officially dedicate a new building at Vigyan Sagar Campus, the training centre of the Cochin Shipyard and inaugurate FACT's renovated coal berth at the port.
The Prime Minister’s visit to the state after a gap of one-and-a-half years assumes significance in view of the soon-to-be-held assembly election. The Model Code of Conduct for the election may come into force anytime soon.
Party events too
After inaugurating the projects, Modi will address a BJP core committee meeting during the visit.
The party’s national leadership has directed all the members of the core committee to reach Kochi on February 14. The core committee members include state president, general secretaries, Union minister V Muraleedharan, MLA O Rajagopal and former state presidents, including former governor Kummanam Rajasekharan.
BJP’s national leaders in charge of the state will also attend the meeting.
The itinerary
The Prime Minister will arrive at the Kochi naval airport at 2.45 pm. He will then be taken in a helicopter to the Rajagiri Valley in Kakkanad around 3.10 pm. The inauguration and ground-breaking ceremonies of various projects will be held at the ground of the Vocational Higher Secondary Education school at Ambalamedu from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm.
He will then address the BJP core committee. The venue for the meeting has not yet been decided.
Modi will then return to Delhi at 5.55 pm.
Other leaders to drop in
Following Modi’s visit, all senior national leaders of the BJP will become active in campaigning for the party in Kerala for the assembly elections. Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president JP Nadda and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will join the state-wide rally to be led by BJP state president Surendran.
