PM Modi’s Rallies, Senior BJP Leader’s Induction Into Cong, Akhilesh’s Moradabad Visit — The Week Ahead

Keeping up with his hectic campaign schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, braving an unsparing summer that only promises to get worse in the coming days, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a public meeting in the Naxal hotbed of Bastar in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh on Monday, April 8, before proceeding to Maharashtra where he will address a show of strength of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Chandrapur. In a shot in the arm for the Congress ahead of the seven-phased general elections, veteran BJP leader from Haryana, Birender Singh, will join the party on Tuesday at the party’s headquarters in the national capital.

These and many more news events are likely to compete for headlines in the Week Ahead.

Stay tuned to ABP Live as we try to cut the clutter around the latest news from the political arena and help you understand what is likely to happen in The Week Ahead. Here are the biggest political developments expected to play out this week. 

PM Modi To Campaign In Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra

Less than 24 hours after winding up his campaign vigils in three states — Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh — Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Maoist stronghold of Bastar in Chhattisgarh on Monday to seek electoral blessings for its candidates in the heartland state.

The BJP’s state office bearers are currently busy with the arrangements for what will be PM Modi’s first campaign-related visit to the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

The campaign event will come close on the heels of a fierce encounter between the security forces and Naxals in Bijapur during which 13 outlaws were gunned down and an undetermined number were believed to be injured, according to the police.

After headlining the rally in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh, PM Modi will proceed to NDA-ruled Maharashtra where he will grace a public event in Chandrapur.

According to reports, before leading the rally at Ramtek in Chandrapur, he will offer his tributes to Dalit icon and the key architect of the Constitution Babasaheb Ambedkar at Diksha Bhoomi in Nagpur.

Addressing a public event in Bihar Nawada on Sunday, PM Modi lambasted the Congress over its manifesto, saying that it smacks of views espoused by the erstwhile Muslim League before the country’s independence.

Senior Haryana BJP Leader To Join Congress

In a measure of boost to the Congress amid the stream of exits ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, former Union Minister and veteran BJP leader Birender Singh will join the grand old party on April 9.

His son and sitting BJP MP from Hisar, Bijendra Singh recently resigned from the primary membership of the BJP, which is now the sole ruling party in the state following the Dushyant Chautala-led JJP’s withdrawal of support to the previous regime headed by Manohar Lal Khattar.

However, Khattar resigned along with his entire cabinet and a new BJP government took shape under the leadership of his successor and current chief minister, Nayab Singh Saini.

Birender claimed that his followers will tag along with him to the grand old party.

His son Bijender was ushered into the Congress fold in the presence of the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders.

Last week, the Congress unveiled its ‘Nyay Patra’ or manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, which features a raft of promises including the provision of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers on their produce as per the Swaminathan Commission report and a countrywide caste survey.

Akhilesh To Visit Moradabad Ahead Of LS Polls

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Akhilesh Yadav, is likely to arrive in Moradabad this week, on April 14. According to reports, the SP chief, who was seen sharing the dais with I.N.D.I.A bloc leaders at a show of strength in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan to rally public support against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy case, is expected to boost the morale of the alliance candidates in the Moradabad division.

The SP, which secured a seat-sharing deal with the Congress in the state ahead of the seven-phased general elections, is contesting 5 Lok Sabha seats in the Moradabad division.

On the direction of the party supremo, SP workers have intensified preparations for the general elections and a poll meeting is likely to be scheduled at the Jama Masjid and the GIC in Moradabad.

(Stay tuned to ABP Live as we track the updates on these stories and more)