Grand gathering planned for Modi, Shah in Bhopal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are slated to address a grand gathering on Tuesday in Bhopal to mark party’s guiding ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s birth anniversary.

BJP’s Madhya Pradesh unit president Rakesh Singh has claimed it is going to be the biggest political congregation in the world in which 12 lakh party workers are expected to take part.

The BJP is sparing no efforts to mobilise cadre across the state for the grand success of the “ Mahakumbh” being organised barely two months ahead of the Assembly election in Madhya Pradesh. A dozen special trains have been booked.

Thousands of buses and other modes of surface transport have also been requisitioned to bring BJP workers from all corners of the state. They will be served sumptuous food in packets with dessert at the venue which is on the outskirt of Bhopal.

A grand stage has been erected for the VVIPs which alone is estimated to cost Rs 12 crore to the party, BJP sources said.

Although BJP leaders are parrying a direct reply to the questions about total expenditure on the gathering, mega–size preparations indicate that the extravaganza might incur nearly Rs 100 crore.

The Shivraj Singh government had organised BJP congregations at the same venue on the same date before the 2008 and 2013 assembly elections too. Therefore, the party considers the venue-knows as Jamboree ground, auspicious for it.