Bengaluru: Bengalurians normally look forward to fun-loving weekends involving a drive around the city, dining or chilling out with family and friends. This weekend, they will have to stay indoors! Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take over the IT city as the BJP has promised two mega roadshows as canvassing reaches its zenith.
Modi will cover 34 km across Bengaluru in two days – Saturday and Sunday.
'Namma Bengaluru, Namma Hemme’
According to the plan, the campaign titled ‘Namma Bengaluru, Namma Hemme’ will now cover 17 of the 28 assembly seats.
“Modi wants to personally see everyone in the city and wants to visit 17 assembly segments. Since it may cause inconvenience to people if organised in a single day, we have decided to hold it over two days, on May 6 and 7,” said Shobha Karandlaje, BJP poll management panel convener.
The roadshow will begin on Saturday at 10am from Kempe Gowda statue in New Thippasandra and culminate at War Memorial, near Brigade Road Junction, with the first leg covering 10km.
On Sunday, the roadshow will resume from the War Memorial at 10am and end at Sankey Tank in Malleswaram at 1.30pm, and cover 24km.
Details of the roadshow to be published
Shobha Karandlaje assured Bengalurians the details of the roadshow route map and timing will be published. The route has been mapped strategically to cut across segments presently represented by the Congress.
It is a packed weekend for Modi. After the conclusion of the second leg of the roadshow in Bengaluru, he will address a public meeting in Shivamogga at 4pm on Sunday. Later, he will visit Srikanteshwara Temple after addressing a rally in Nanjangud at 7pm.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea against Modi’s May 6 and 7 roadshows in Bengaluru. The court recorded submissions by the state and the police that all precautionary measures will be in place for the 'planned' roadshows.
Inconvenience to citizens
The plea had sought to ban the roadshows saying they cause inconvenience to citizens.
The bench headed by Justice Krishna S Dixit said elections in India are treated as festive celebrations and there are records to show rallies and roadshows have been part of the electioneering.
The court asked all security officers to adopt measures to ensure the public's trust. It directed the officers to place the PM's safety as the highest priority. “It is our responsibility that nothing should happen to anyone,” the court observed.
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