Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a massive roadshow in Guwahati on Saturday evening, witnessing diverse cultural elements of Assam on the first day of his two-day tour to the state.
The roadshow began outside the Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex in Sarusajai on National Highway 27, and concluded at the state BJP headquarters near Basistha Chariali.
Modi, who was sitting in the front of his black SUV, was seen waving to the enthusiastic crowd that gathered on both sides of the road. The air reverberated with resounding chants of ‘Modi-ji zindabad’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union ministers Sarbananda Sonowal and Pabitra Margherita, and state BJP president Dilip Saikia joined the roadshow in their respective vehicles.
The roadshow was a showcase of the BJP’s strength in Assam, where assembly polls would be due early next year.
The event was marked by a strong presence of BJP workers and volunteers, who had tried hard to ensure a grand reception for the PM.
Several platforms were erected on the roadside to showcase cultural performances from various parts of the state.
“We tried to present a cultural showcase of dance, songs and instruments from our ethnic and indigenous tribes,” the party’s state media relations convenor Dhruba Jyoti Maral said.
He claimed that more than 50,000 people gathered to witness the roadshow, which was held amid a heavy security deployment.
After landing in Guwahati, the PM unveiled a statue of the state’s first CM Gopinath Bordoloi, and a new terminus of the airport, and addressed a public meeting on the occasion.
He then went to Sarusajai for the roadshow. After it concluded, he chaired a crucial meeting with the BJP’s state leadership, with an eye on next year’s assembly polls.
Modi visits Assam BJP headquarters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Assam BJP headquarters in Guwahati on Saturday evening to chair a strategic meeting with about 280 leaders of the party, with an eye on next year’s assembly polls.
Modi reached the Vajpayee Bhawan in Basistha area of the city after leading a massive 3.8-km-long roadshow from Sarusajai.
He is scheduled to hold a meeting with party leaders during the visit, state BJP president Dilip Saikia earlier told PTI.
The Vajpayee Bhawan was inaugurated by BJP president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in October 2022, and this is Modi’s first visit to it.
State BJP spokesperson Dewan Dhruba Jyoti Maral earlier said 280 leaders would be present at the closed-door meeting. The invitees include the party’s ex-state presidents, former and incumbent MPs, ministers and MLAs.
The PM arrived in Guwahati on a two-day tour of the state in the afternoon.
He unveiled a statue of the state’s first CM Gopinath Bordoloi, and a new terminus of the airport upon arrival, and addressed a public meeting on the occasion.