Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Surat and Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on December 17-18 to launch several development initiatives.
PM Modi will unveil the new integrated terminal building at Surat airport and the Surat Diamond Bourse on Sunday before travelling to Varanasi for a two-day visit.
On Sunday evening, he will inaugurate the Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 at the Namo ghat and flag off the Kanyakumari-Varanasi Tamil Sangamam train.
On Monday, the PM will unveil the Swarved Mahamandir at a public function and also participate in the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra.
The idea of a “sustained and structured cultural connections between people of different regions” was first mooted by Modi during the Rashtriya Ekta Divas held on October 31, 2015, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Politically, the exercise is seen as part of Modi’s efforts to deepen the BJP’s base in southern states. It also chimes well with the Hindu right wing’s idea of India being a state with civilisational continuity over millennia and a shared heritage.
Cabinet formation in heartland states
Following the BJP’s surprise decision to overhaul its leadership in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh by picking new faces as Chief Ministers, all eyes are now on the Cabinet formation process and portfolio allocations in these states.
A decision on the formation of the new Cabinet in MP will be taken at a BJP meeting on December 17, senior leader and newly-elected Indore-1 MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya said Saturday.
Responding to a query on what role he would assume within the state BJP set-up going forward, he said: “I am still in a big role. I am the (national) general secretary of the BJP”.
“A decision will be taken in this matter in a party meeting on December 17,” Vijayvargiya said when asked about the formation of the new Mohan Yadav Cabinet.
Yadav took oath as the MP CM on December 13. Rajendra Shukla and Jagdish Devda were sworn in as his Deputy CMs.
There has been no news yet on the Cabinet formation in the other two states. However, there is a buzz that the BJP might again pull off a surprise. But there is also the question of the accommodation of several Union ministers who contested the polls in these states and were said to be in the running for CM chairs. They have already resigned from their central roles. How they will be accommodated in state Cabinets will be watched closely.
Maratha reservation stir
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has said if the Maharashtra government does not provide written assurance about Maratha reservation by December 17, he will not converse with the government any more.
“If we don’t get a reservation by December 17, if we don’t get the copy of the order, then there will be nothing between us. We will hold a meeting on December 17 at Antarwali-Saraati and decide the future course of action,” the activist told reporters.
Jarange-Patil said till December 24, he will not speak to anyone. “After that, everyone will come to know what the Maratha community is all about. If we don’t get a reservation by December 24, we are ready for the next battle,” he said.
AAP rally
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will hold a “Vikas Kranti rally” in Punjab’s Bathinda on Sunday, during which development projects worth Rs 1,125 crore will be launched, party leader Malvinder Singh Kang said on Saturday.
The rally will be attended by party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann.
— With inputs from PTI
