PM Modi Kolkata Roadshow; Rahul-Akhilesh Rally in Varanasi
India’s highly anticipated Lok Sabha elections are reaching their crescendo, with the final phase of voting scheduled for June 1st in Kolkata. As the nation eagerly awaits the outcome, two key political events have captured the spotlight – Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first roadshow of the campaign season in Kolkata, and the joint rally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav in Varanasi.
PM Modi’s Kolkata Roadshow: Symbolic Significance and Strategic Moves
In a strategic move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kickstart his two-day visit to West Bengal with a campaign event in Jharkhand’s Dumka, where he will lend his support to Sita Soren, the BJP candidate and daughter-in-law of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) founder Shibu Soren. This event, scheduled for 12:15 pm, holds significance as Sita’s late husband Durga Soren was once considered the “natural successor” to Shibu Soren, before the latter’s younger brother Hemant Soren rose to prominence.
The Prime Minister will then travel to West Bengal, where he is slated to address public meetings in Ashoknagar and Baruipur, constituencies within the North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts, respectively. These events are scheduled for 2:30 pm and 4 pm, respectively.
The highlight of PM Modi’s visit, however, will be the 2.5-kilometer roadshow in Kolkata, which is scheduled to commence at 6 pm from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s statue at the Shyambazar five-point crossing and culminate at Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral house. This symbolic route holds deep significance, as it comes at a time when the Prime Minister and the BJP have targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her comments regarding the alleged political involvement of “a few monks” from the Bharat Sevashram Sangha and Ramakrishna Mission monastic orders.
The Prime Minister is expected to be accompanied by state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari during the roadshow. According to BJP sources, he may also visit the home of Sarada Devi, the wife of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the Hindu mystic after whom his disciple Swami Vivekananda named the Ramakrishna Mission monastic order.
Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav’s Joint Rally in Varanasi
In a show of unity, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav will embark on a joint campaign trail in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The duo will first address a rally at the village of Tharwan in the Bansgaon (SC-reserved) constituency at 1:45 pm, followed by another rally at Mohansarai Chauraha in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi constituency at 4 pm.
This joint rally comes just days after Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rahul’s sister, and SP leader Dimple Yadav, Akhilesh’s wife, held a roadshow in Varanasi city. The Rahul-Akhilesh alliance is seen as a strategic move to consolidate the opposition’s efforts in Uttar Pradesh, a crucial battleground state that has a significant impact on the national election outcome.
Other Prominent Figures on the Campaign Trail
While the spotlight remains on PM Modi’s Kolkata visit and the Rahul-Akhilesh rally in Varanasi, several other political heavyweights are also actively campaigning across the country.
In Punjab, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will address a press conference in Amritsar at 1 pm and a public meeting in Kotkapura, Faridkot, at 4 pm. Concurrently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also be in the state, addressing rallies in Ferozpur at 4:10 pm and Anandpur Sahib at 6:50 pm.
In Odisha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address three public rallies – in Chandbali (Bhadrak Lok Sabha constituency) at 12:30 pm, Panikoili (Jajpur seat) at 2:15 pm, and Nimapada (Jagatsinghpur seat) at 4 pm.
Jharkhand’s Political Dynamics: Hemant Soren’s Bail Petition
Amidst the flurry of campaign activities, the political landscape in Jharkhand also remains in the spotlight. Hemant Soren, the jailed Chief Minister of Jharkhand, has filed a bail petition before the Jharkhand High Court, which is scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday.
Soren’s petition comes at a crucial time, as the state grapples with the fallout of the alleged money laundering case that led to his incarceration. The outcome of this hearing could have significant implications for the political dynamics in Jharkhand, which has been a key battleground for the BJP and the opposition alliance led by Soren’s Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Karnataka’s Legislative Council Elections: Congress Leadership Discussions
In another political development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to travel to New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the names of candidates for the June 13 biennial election to 11 seats of the Legislative Council with the Congress high command. Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar will also join him for these discussions.
Given the existing strength of parties in the Assembly, the Congress is poised to win seven seats, the BJP three, and the Janata Dal (Secular) one seat. The outcome of these discussions will be closely watched, as it could have a bearing on the state’s political landscape in the run-up to the upcoming Assembly elections.
Delhi’s Political Intrigue: Kejriwal Aide Bibhav Kumar’s Court Appearance
In the nation’s capital, the political drama continues to unfold. Bibhav Kumar, a close aide of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, is expected to be produced before a magisterial court on Tuesday after the expiry of his four-day judicial custody.
The case involving Bibhav Kumar has garnered significant attention, as it is seen as part of the ongoing tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the Lieutenant Governor’s office. The outcome of this court appearance could have implications for the power dynamics within the Delhi administration.
Conclusion
As the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections approaches, the political landscape in India is abuzz with high-stakes events and strategic maneuvers. The upcoming roadshow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kolkata and the joint rally of Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav in Varanasi are poised to be the key highlights of the campaign season, with their symbolic significance and potential impact on the election outcome.
Simultaneously, the political developments in Jharkhand, Karnataka, and Delhi underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of India’s electoral landscape. With the nation’s eyes firmly fixed on these unfolding events, the stage is set for a captivating finale to the Lok Sabha elections.
