Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi (file pic)
Narendra Modi has begun his mega rally in Hyderabad to kick off the BJP's election campaign. The BJP has left no stone unturned to ensure a grand visit for the man expected to soon be named the party's candidate for Prime Minister in the 2014 general elections.
Here is a guide to his day-long visit:
The Gujarat Chief Minister is addressing a youth conclave at the Lal Bahadur Stadium. The stadium which has a capacity of 50,000 is already jam-packed; the BJP expects one lakh people to attend. 12 LED screens have been installed outside the stadium for those who are unable to go inside. (Track live updates)
The traffic around LB Stadium will be diverted till 7 pm today.
The BJP is expected to launch a new slogan - "Nayi soch, nayi umeed (New thinking, new hope)" - today. The BJP's slogan right now is - "Sushasan sankalp, Bhaajpaa hi vikalp (BJP is the only option for good governance)". Mr Modi is the BJP's election campaign chief.
The Andhra Pradesh unit of the BJP had asked people to register both online and offline for the youth conclave today with a voluntary contribution of Rs five towards relief efforts in Uttarakhand. About 22,000 people had registered online. The Congress has sniggered at the initiative. .
The Gujarat Chief Minister held meetings with industry, youth, caste group leaders ahead of the rally. (Read) After the conclave, he will unveil a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Keshav memorial school and will then leave Hyderabad at 9 pm.
There were worries that the ongoing agitation against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh could affect the turnout at Mr Modi's much-hyped rally. There have been protests in the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions ever since the ruling Congress announced the decision to create a Telangana state on July 30. The BJP supports a separate Telangana.
Muslim groups in Hyderabad have said they do not welcome Mr Modi to Hyderabad but will not obstruct his visit. Mr Modi's critics accuse him of not doing enough to protect hundreds of Muslims from being killed during the Gujarat riots of 2002. He said recently in an interview that he believed he did everything he could to check the violence that lacerated his state.
"Mr Modi is welcome," said Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Dinesh Reddy. The police say they have ensured adequate security deployment for the high-profile visit.
Ten years ago, the city's police commissioner had said Mr Modi would be arrested if he stepped inside Hyderabad.
Mr Modi's visit coincides with the shuddh panchami mahurtam, considered an auspicious day - there are at least 30,000 weddings in the city.
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