Modi to spearhead poll push with 3 rallies in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three election rallies in Odisha on Saturday. Modi will also take part in a roadshow in Bhubaneswar on Friday, Odisha BJP vice-president Golak Mohapatra said. “On May 11, he will address three public rallies – first in Kandhamal at 9.30 am, the second in Bolangir at 11.30 am and another in Bargarh at 1 pm,” he said.

“The Prime Minister will also hold a roadshow in Bhubaneswar from 8 pm on Friday. He will stay the night at Raj Bhavan,” Mohapatra said. The roadshow will start from BJP’s State headquarters near Sri Ram Mandir and end at Vani Vihar Square. Tight security arrangements have been made for the roadshow and the poll rallies, police said. Modi had last visited Odisha on May 6, when he addressed two public meetings in Berhampur and Nabarangpur.

Odisha Police decided to deploy 55 platoons of force in Bhubaneswar to provide security during the Prime Minister’s roadshow on May 10. Briefing mediapersons, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda said, “We are making foolproof security arrangements for the visit of the Prime Minister,” he said.

Five DCP rank officers, 10 additional DCPs, 27 ACP rank officers, 41 inspectors and 180 other officers along with 55 platoons of force will be deployed for the roadshow, he said. The entire route has been declared as ‘no drone zone’ while vehicular movement will be restricted. The area will be sanitised by bomb disposal and dog squads, Panda said.

The Police Commissioner said security personnel will also be deployed on rooftops of roadside buildings. Three special tactical units or anti-terrorism squads will also be there.

Earlier, the Odisha government had restricted the use of drones during Modi’s visit and asked the district collectors concerned to declare the venues as ‘no drone zone’ and ‘no flying zone’.

During the visit of the Prime Minister to Odisha on May 6, security personnel had observed that some media houses used drones to take visuals of Modi during public meetings, rallies, and roadshows which could have been detrimental to the security of the VVIP.

‘’Flying drones by media personnel, organisers, and event management teams should be strictly prohibited near the vicinity of the VVIP,’’ said the order.

The DCP of Bhubaneswar, SPs of Kandhamal, Bargarh and Bolangir have been asked to restrict the flying of drones near the vicinity of the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to the State and to take action against the defaulters.

Simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be held in Odisha in four phases, starting May 13.