Chennai, March 11 (IANS) — With the announcement of the Tamil Nadu Assembly election expected soon, political activity across the state has intensified. Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Tiruchirappalli on Wednesday evening to participate in a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) public meeting at Panchapur and launch a series of major development projects.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister will attend official engagements in Kochi in Kerala before flying to Tiruchirappalli. He is expected to depart Kochi around 5 p.m. in a special aircraft and reach Tiruchirappalli shortly thereafter. From the airport, he will travel by helicopter to Panchapur, where the official programme and the political rally will be held.
At the government function, Modi will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone for multiple infrastructure projects worth approximately ₹5,650 crore. A key initiative among them is the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s City Gas Distribution Network in the Nilgiris and Erode districts, to be developed at an estimated cost of ₹3,680 crore.
The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation a lubricant oil manufacturing plant of Indian Oil Corporation at Manali in Chennai, built at a cost of ₹1,490 crore. In addition, he will inaugurate 89 rural road projects covering nearly 370 kilometres under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana across Tamil Nadu.
Another major initiative includes the foundation stone for a Greenfield bypass near Gangaikonda Cholapuram on National Highway 81. The Prime Minister will also flag off six trains, including two Amrit Bharat Express services, two other express trains and a passenger train service, aimed at strengthening regional rail connectivity.
Following the government event, Modi will address the NDA’s public meeting around 6.30 p.m. at a specially prepared venue on the Panchapur grounds. Senior alliance leaders, including Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Anbumani Ramadoss, T. T. V. Dhinakaran, G. K. Vasan and T. R. Parivendhar, are expected to share the stage.
According to Nainar Nagendran, president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tamil Nadu unit, nearly seven lakh people are expected to attend the rally. With the Assembly election schedule likely to be announced next week, the event is also expected to set the stage for the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement in the state.
