PM Modi to sound poll bugle from Bihar on Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch his Lok Sabha election campaign in Bihar's Champaran on Saturday (January 13). He is expected to lead a rally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Raman Maidan in Bettiah. The saffron party has big plans for the 2024 polls in Bihar, as it's targeting all 40 seats. Besides PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda will be addressing rallies in the states in January and February.
Why does this story matter?
While the dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls haven't been announced yet, the ruling BJP has already begun preparations and made some key decisions recently. It is seeking a third term. The recent assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Mizoram set the precedent for the Lok Sabha elections. The opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, of which the Congress is a key constituent, aims to present a unified front against the BJP in 2024.
Developmental push: PM Modi to inaugurate, unveil various projects
Bihar will likely witness major political rallies after January 15, when campaigning restrictions are lifted. According to reports, PM Modi will speak at three rallies in Begusarai, Bettiah, and Aurangabad. During his Bihar visit, he will also inaugurate and lay foundation stones for various projects, such as roads and bridges. While Shah will address people in Sitamarhi, Madhepura, and Nalanda in January and February, Nadda may hold rallies in Seemanchal and eastern Bihar.
Shift in Bihar's political landscape
As PM Modi is leading the BJP's campaign again, the party has handed Bihar's organizational leadership to Samrat Choudhary. This comes amid Bihar's changing political scene, with the BJP sitting in opposition and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United (JDU) joining the INDIA bloc. Kumar has successfully united opposition leaders for the Lok Sabha elections after he parted ways with the BJP. In the last election, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won 39 seats while Congress secured only one.
PM Modi sets target for 2024 polls
During the BJP's Parliamentary Board meeting recently, PM Modi asked workers to prepare for the Lok Sabha elections in "mission mode." He set a target of winning 35 crore votes in the polls against the 22.9 crore the BJP won in 2019. The party is aiming for a 50% vote share in these polls through cluster meetings after January 15. It also asked its Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha to host 5,000 nationwide youth conferences.
