Huge Highway Project Marks PM Modi’s 5th Visit To Rajasthan Before Polls

Jaipur:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bikaner in Rajasthan today, marking his fifth visit to the election-bound state this year. The PM will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of numerous development projects, totalling more than Rs 24,300 crore, according to a statement.

At the heart of the visit is the inaugural event of a significant segment of the Bharat Mala Project, a new green expressway connecting Amritsar in Punjab to Jamnagar in Gujarat. The 1,316 km, six-lane highway, built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, runs through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

The inauguration holds substantial political implications as the venue, Bikaner, is considered the heart of Rajasthan. The new expressway will impact five districts – Hanumangrah, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer, and Jalore – all of which it traverses on its route to Jamnagar. The PM’s presence is also expected to sway the upcoming elections for the 35 Vidhan Sabha seats around Bikaner.

Currently, the BJP holds 10 Vidhan Sabha seats in the Bikaner division, while Congress possesses 11, and three seats belong to other parties. The visit is projected to boost BJP’s prospects in these regions in the forthcoming elections.

Among the key development projects, the PM will inaugurate the redevelopment of the Bikaner Railway Station, a Rs 450 crore undertaking. He will also dedicate to the nation Phase-I of the Inter-State Transmission Line for the Green Energy Corridor.

PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone for a 100-bed hospital, adding to the area’s healthcare infrastructure. All these initiatives will take place in Naurangdesar, where PM Modi will address a public meeting around 5 pm.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to land at the Naal Air Force Base at 4 pm and will then fly by helicopter to Naurangdesar. After the inauguration ceremony and public meeting, he is expected to return to Delhi after 6:30 pm.

PM Modi’s visit to Bikaner is part of a broader tour of four states, including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan, from July 7 to 8. Excluding Uttar Pradesh, all these states will see polls later this year.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore, and Deputy Leader of Opposition Satish Poonia inspected the venue of the rally on Friday. Mr Meghwal expressed confidence that a large number of people from Bikaner and surrounding areas will attend the rally.