With Assembly polls in Karnataka round the corner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a massive road show in this district headquarters city, waving at a large number of enthusiastic crowd, who had lined up on both sides of the route.
The Prime Minister is in the city to lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple development initiatives, and also to release the 13th instalment of PM-KISAN worth more than Rs 16,800 crores.
About 10.5-km-long road show route to Malini City (venue of the stage event) was decked up with saffron hues, as BJP flags, posters and banners were seen all along.
Standing on the 'running board' of his moving car, Modi greeted by waving at the crowd gathered on the sides of the roads and on nearby buildings, many of whom were seen chanting 'Modi, Modi' slogans and shouting loud cheers.
At many places, people showered flower petals as his cavalcade passed through the stretch slowly. Over 10,000 women clad in saree and saffron peta (traditional headgear) accorded a 'purnakumbha' (ceremonial) welcome to Modi, party sources said.
There were also a number of stage shows, some also equipped with LEDs, put up along the route, depicting the culture and traditions of various regions of the country and historic personalities, also programmes of the BJP government, they said Karnataka, a BJP governed state, goes to Assembly polls by May.
After Bengaluru Urban with 27 Assembly segments (28 including Anekal), Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, is the second biggest district in the State with 18 seats. In 2018, BJP won 13 seats in Belagavi, and emerged as the single largest party with 105 seats in the State.