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Lok Sabha elections 2019: PM Modi to address public meeting in MP today, first during Congress rule
PM Modi was scheduled to address public meetings at Indore and Dhar on February 15 and 16 but the plan was cancelled due to Pulwama terror attack.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will blow the poll bugle for Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, BJP state president Rakesh Singh said on Monday, adding that the PM will address a public meeting in Dhar, 250 km southwest of Bhopal.
Earlier, PM Modi was scheduled to address public meetings at Indore and Dhar on February 15 and 16 but the plan was cancelled due to Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers.
The public meeting in tribal-dominated Dhar in Malwa region assumes significance for the BJP as the party suffered a major blow in the region during state assembly elections last year and lost power to the Congress after 15 years.
In Malwa region, BJP lost as many as 28 seats while it had 56 in 2013 assembly elections. Congress’ tally rose from 9 in 2013 to 35 in 2018. In Dhar, Congress won almost all the assembly seats.
In 2014 Lok Sabha polls BJP had won as many as 27 seats out of the total 29 in Madhya Pradesh. However, in Lok-Sabha by-poll held for Ratlam-Jhabua seat in 2015 BJP lost to the Congress. Jhabua, the neighboring district of Dhar, in Malwa region is also a tribal dominated district.
State BJP executive committing member Shailendra Sharma said, “The Prime Minister’s visit to Dhar will motivate party workers, not only in Malwa but in entire Madhya Pradesh. He is coming to MP at a time when the morale of every Indian is very high after the country’s befitting reply to Pakistan.”
