Pawar bastion decks up for Modi

The Special Protection Group surveyed the area along with local police for about 12 hours on Monday.

Special Protection Group and senior police personnel inspect the Baramati venue where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend a rally on Thursday. (Source: Express photo by Pavan khengre)

From auto rickshaws blaring out announcements to intense preparations at the venue, the hype surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally on Thursday is written all over Baramati.

The Special Protection Group surveyed the area along with local police for about 12 hours on Monday. The Prime Minister will be arriving by air on Thursday to speak at the 10-acre grounds with a seating capacity of about 1.5 lakh people. Additional superintendent of police (Baramati division) Ravindrasingh Pardeshi said, “We have been told that the candidates from nine nearby constituencies will be present for the rally. Local leaders will be present but we have not been told of any national leaders,” Modi is expected to come at 2pm for the hour-long rally.

The grounds will be covered under video camera surveillance. A parking space for over 4000 vehicles is also being readied.
Apart from SPG and local police, teams of ATS, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, sniffer dogs and central paramilitary forces will also be present as part of the security arrangments. About 1, 500 police officials will be guarding the venue.

Modi will be the first national leader of his stature to address voters at what is a bastion of the Pawar family. Pradipsinh Jadeja, Gujarat’s law and justice minister, was in Baramati to overlook preparations of the local BJP team. When asked if Modi can help the BJP win the Baramati seat, Jadeja said, “Modiji has proved himself in the Lok Sabha election and we are sure the BJP candidate will win from here this time.

More than the anti-Pawar wave, it is the Modi wave which will draw voters to elect a BJP candidate from this constituency. Since past 15 years this state has been ruled by corrupt leaders, and now is the time to save Maharashtra and Modi ji will save it,” added Jadeja. Balasaheb Gawde, the BJP candidate from Baramati said, “If Indira Gandhi can be defeated, then Pawar is nothing. I am sure this time, BJP will win every single seat and Modi wave will lead BJP to victory in Baramati and Maharashtra too. “