As he continues on his tour of states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally on Tuesday in Sangareddy, about 60 km from Hyderabad. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation for development projects worth more than Rs 6,800 crore. The PM will inaugurate, among other things, the Civil Aviation Research Organisation centre in Hyderabad to upgrade and enhance research and development activities in the civil aviation sector. He will then travel to Odisha where he will lay the foundation stone for an eight-lane expansion project of a Paradeep-Duburi road and inaugurate 19 projects worth Rs 20,000 crore in the presence of Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan, Hardeep Singh Puri and Ashwini Vaishnaw. In context: Modi’s visit to Odisha assumes significance as it comes amid a buzz about a BJP-BJD reunion while his visit to the south is being seen as part of the BJP’s push to make inroads in the southern states, where the party is perceived to be weak, especially in light of its ambitious target of winning 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. As Sujit Bisoyi reported last week the visit comes at a time when there are rumours of the two former allies joining hands again. “The timing of PM Modi’s visit to Odisha is significant. March 5 will mark the 108th birth anniversary of Odisha icon and former chief minister late Biju Patnaik, the father of BJD supremo and current CM Naveen Patnaik,” Sujit wrote. What signals Modi sends out on Tuesday will be closely tracked. Who will find space in the Yogi Cabinet? With the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) now formally part of the NDA, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath will expand his Cabinet on Tuesday to accommodate the new ally and the Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP). Four to six ministers, including one each from RLD and SBSP, are expected to be part of the Yogi Cabinet. Sources said that while a Dalit leader from west UP is the RLD’s choice, Rajbhar is the SBSP’s choice. Apart from them, BJP leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who was the Ghosi MLA for the Samajwadi Party (SP) but lost the bypoll last year after switching parties, would also be included in the Cabinet. There is also speculation that one of the non-BJP MLAs who voted for the BJP in the recent Rajya Sabha polls may also find a berth. Six SP MLAs and Raghuraj Pratap Singh, popularly known as Raja Bhaiya, of Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik), voted for the BJP. The BJP leadership approved the ministerial expansion at a meeting held in Delhi last Thursday, as reported earlier by Vikas Pathak. Shah in Maharashtra Amid reports of bickering in Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance over seat-sharing besides internal differences within the BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in the state on Tuesday to resolve these problems, especially those related to Vidarbha, Marathwada, and north Maharashtra. Shah’s visit comes days after the BJP released its first list of 195 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in which there were no names from Maharashtra. During his day-long visit, Shah will hold strategy meetings in Akola (Vidarbha), address a youth conclave in Jalgaon (north Maharashtra), and address a public rally in Sambhajinagar (Marathwada). A BJP insider told Shubhangi Khapre that there were problems in some seats with the alliance partners that need to be settled before the announcement of the candidates. What next for Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay? Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay who has hit the headlines frequently over his run-ins with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government and a senior judge in the High Court, will quit the judiciary on Tuesday. Justice Gangopadhyay on Sunday said he would join politics and reveal his next plan after he steps down as High Court judge. Though there is speculation that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections, the judge has not revealed which party he will join and may do so on Tuesday. Recommended readings: The turbulent tenure of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay In divided Bar, move raises questions on independence of judiciary Also happening today: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate several infrastructure projects at the Indian Navy's strategically located base in Karnataka's Karwar. These projects are being developed considering India's long-term security interests in the Indian Ocean region. The minister is also slated to inaugurate the new building of the Naval War College in Goa.
