Path to the Polls
Tracing PM Modi's footprints ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections
With the Lok Sabha polls on the horizon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in election mode since the turn of the year as he eyes a third term as the premier of the world’s largest democracy.
A veteran politician and seasoned election strategist, PM Modi began the year with a concerted push to woo voters in southern India, a region that has historically not been the BJP’s biggest electoral base, before turning his attention to other pockets of the country where the BJP is looking to either expand or consolidate its electorate.
Starting with a visit to Tamil Nadu on January 2, which saw Modi lay the foundation stones for and inaugurate projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore, the PM continued his southern push, travelling to Left-ruled Kerala a day later after a short stop in Agatti, Lakshadweep.
After stops in the western states of Rajasthan and Gujarat over the next few days, and a brief stop in the national capital, Modi travelled to Maharashtra, from where he resumed his southern push, travelling to Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
Modi’s whirlwind tour of the south preceded the much-awaited consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, following which the PM turned his attention to some of the northern and western states in the nation.
As February rolled into March, Modi again turned his attention to states where the BJP had a poor electoral record, visiting multiple cities in West Bengal, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. The PM, however, punctuated his visits to these states with trips to other parts of the country that also saw him visit his constituency, Varanasi.
Apart from a few stops in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Gujarat in March, Modi spent much of month travelling to southern states, with the aim of reaping electoral benefits in the fast-approaching parliamentary polls.
With less than a month remaining for the start of the Lok Sabha elections, here we trace PM Modi’s campaign trail across the country up until the announcement of the election schedule by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
JANUARY
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
PM Modi travelled to Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu on January 2, where he inaugurated a string of projects and laid the foundation stones for new initiatives worth Rs 20,140 crore. The PM also hailed Tamil Nadu for its cultural heritage and praised late DMDK leader Vijayakanth, as well as the late eminent agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan.
Agatti, Lakshadweep
PM Modi also travelled to Agatti in the Lakshadweep islands on January 2, where he highlighted his government's role in the development of the archipelago over the past decade. The PM also reached out the Muslim-dominated population of the archipelago, and hailed the "big hearts" of the inhabitants.
Thrissur, Kerala
In Thrissur, Kerala, PM Modi on January 3 attacked the opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc, accusing the alliance of hurting people's religious sentiments and of using temples as a means for 'looting'. Speaking at a women's meet, 'Sthree Shakthi Modikoppam', he also referred to recent rows over the hike in rent of the exhibition ground of the famed Thrissur Pooram festival, as well as the chaos at Sabarimala.
Jaipur, Rajasthan
On January 5, PM Modi flew to Jaipur to interact with newly-inducted BJP ministers in the state. Over the next two days, he participated in the 58th conference for DGPs and IGPs, where he exhorted the three new criminal laws and called for greater protection for women so that they could live fearlessly.
Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar, Gujarat
PM Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on January 8 and over the next couple of days, held meetings with world leaders and heads of corporates who'd come for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. On January 10, PM Modi inaugurated the summit in Gandhinagar, and held several more meetings with representatives from other nations. The PM also visited the Ahmedabad Flower Show later in the day on Jan 10.
Delhi, NCR
The PM briefly returned to Delhi on January 11, where he met a delegation of Muslim community members and presented them with a 'chadar' to be placed at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah to commemorate the death anniversary of revered Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti.
Navi Mumbai, Nashik & Solapur, Maharashtra
On January 12, PM Modi travelled to Navi Mumbai and inaugurated the Rs 17,840 crore Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, the longest bridge as well as the longest sea bridge in the country. The PM, on the same day, also laid the foundation stone of an underground road tunnel connecting the Eastern Freeway in eastern Mumbai to Marine Drive in south Mumbai. Later in the day, Modi addressed a gathering in Nashik, following the inauguration of the 27th National Youth Festival.
Lepakshi & Palasamudram, Andhra Pradesh
On January 16, PM Modi visited the historic Veerabhadra temple in Lepakshi and offered prayers.
Later in the day, he inaugurated the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) in Palasamudram in Sri Satyasai district.
Praising the changes to taxation brought in by his government over the past decade, Modi said, "All these reforms have resulted in record tax collection."
Kochi & Thrissur, Kerala
In Kochi, PM Modi held a massive roadshow, before heading to Thrissur, where he offered prayers at the famed Guruvayur Sree Krishna temple and Thriprayar Shree Ramaswamy temple. Modi also graced the marriage of actor-turned Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Suresh Gopi's daughter at the Guruvayur temple premises. A day later, on January 17, the PM addressed a gathering of around 6,000 in-charges of 'Shakti Kendras' in the state. On January 18, Modi commissioned projects worth Rs 4,000 crore in Kochi, including an international ship-repair facility, a stepped dry dock which is touted to be the world’s first and an LPG import terminal.
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Travelling to Karnataka from Kerala, PM Modi on January 19 inaugurated Boeing's largest facility outside the US in Bengaluru, built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore. At the inauguration event, Modi touted Karnataka's "rise as the new aviation hub", and said that the city of Bengaluru "links aspirations to innovations and achievements."
Chennai, Srirangam & Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
Continuing his southern push, Modi travelled to Chennai from Bengaluru, where he held another massive roadshow. Over the course of his three-day visit to Tamil Nadu, Modi flagged off the Khelo India Youth Games and launched DD Tamil, a revamped version of the regional language Doordarshan channel DD Podhigai. On January 20, Modi offered prayers at the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam and Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram and took a holy dip at the Rameswaram 'Agni theertham' beach.
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
On January 22, PM Modi travelled to Ayodhya, where he participated in the much-awaited consecration ceremony of the Ram temple. Speaking at the event, the PM asserted that the consecration of Ram Lalla's idol in Ayodhya marks the advent of a new era and gave a call to people to go beyond and build the foundation of a strong, grand and divine India that would flourish for the next 1,000 years.
Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh
A few days after the consecration ceremony, PM Modi travelled to Bulandshahr in UP, where he laid the foundation stones for projects worth Rs 19,100 crore in key areas like rail, road, oil and gas, urban development and housing. "Building a developed India is not possible without the rapid development of UP," Modi asserted in Bulandshahr.
Jaipur, Rajasthan
On the eve of India's 75th Republic Day, PM Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron, the chief guest for the celebrations, at Jaipur, where the duo held a massive roadshow, soaked in the sights of the city, and even stopped for a hot cup of tea served in traditional earthen pots.
Delhi, NCR
On January 26, PM Modi travelled to the national capital where he took part in the 75th Republic Day celebrations along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, President Droupadi Murmu, among others. At the end of the parade, Modi also walked down the Kartavya Path and waved at people seated in the enclosures, who erupted into cheers and shouted 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' as the PM passed by.
Later, on January 29, Modi held his annual Pariksha Pe Charcha programme in Delhi, before paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on Martyr's Day on January 30.
On January 31, Modi, in his customary remarks ahead of the start of the Parliament's Budget Session, asserted that India was touching new heights by virtue of his government's "all-inclusive all-round" development initiatives and took a dig at the Opposition for frequently disrupting Parliament proceedings.
FEBRUARY
Sambalpur, Odisha
Modi arrived in Odisha on February 3 where he inaugurated the 400-crore permanent campus of IIM, Sambalpur and unveiled several infrastructure projects across various sectors. Overall, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of projects worth over Rs 68,000 crore. Addressing a rally in Sambalpur, he backed the Union Budget, asserting that it was aimed at empowering the poor.
Guwahati, Assam
PM Modi on February 4 unveiled projects worth Rs 11,600 crore in Assam, after which he addressed a massive rally where he attacked the Congress as he claimed that those in power after Independence were ashamed of their own culture.
Betul, Goa
Inaugurating the second edition of the India Energy Week in Betul, Goa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 6 claimed that India will see an investment of $67 billion in the energy sector in next five to six years as he invited global investors.
Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh
PM Modi on February 11 visited Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua where he laid the foundation stones of Rs 7,550 crore worth development projects for the state and disbursed monthly installments to around two lakh women beneficiaries under the 'Aahar Anudan Yojana'.
Rewari, Haryana
On February 16, the prime minister laid the foundation stone of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Haryana’s Rewari. He also dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 9,770 crore.
Lucknow & Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh
Accompanied by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Shri Kalki Dham temple in Sambhal on February 19, after which he addressed a gathering where he said that India is not only bringing back its ancient idols from abroad but also getting record foreign investment. In the afternoon, he launched 14,000 projects across Uttar Pradesh worth more than Rs 10 lakh crore in Lucknow.
Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir
On February 20 the PM launched multiple development projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore, including those for education, railway, aviation and road sectors, in Jammu. From Jammu, he also virtually laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 13,500 crore across India. Speaking in Jammu, Modi said that the abrogation of Article 370 facillitated development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
The Prime Minister arrived in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on February 22 evening and interacted with the winners of the 'Sansad Sanskrit Pratiyogita' at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on February 23. Soon after, he inaugurated a newly-installed statue of Sant Ravidas. Later in the day, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crore.
Jamnagar, Rajkot & Devbhumi Dwarka, Gujarat
On February 24, PM Modi landed in Jamnagar at night and took out a roadshow from the airport to the circuit house amid chants of 'Modi Modi' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' from an exuberant crowd.
On February 25, Modi inaugurated a four-lane cable-stayed bridge called the Sudarshan Setu, which is a 2.32 km bridge that will allow devotees to visit the Dwarkadhish temple without having to use a boat. On the same day, he also did scuba diving off the Panchkui beach and caught glimpses of the ancient, submerged city of Dwarka. After this, the PM inaugurated an AIIMS at Rajkot and virtually dedicated to the nation four more AIIMS at Bathinda, Raebareli, Kalyani and Mangalagiri.
Thumba & Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
In Kerala on February 27, PM Modi inaugurated three major space infrastructure projects of ISRO during his visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram. Here, he also announced the names of the four astronauts who are undergoing training for the country's maiden human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.
Tirupur & Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu
After a brief stop in Tirupur on February 27, PM Modi, on February 28, laid the foundation stone for a new launch complex of ISRO near Thoothukudi and flagged off India's first indigenous green hydrogen waterway vessel. Along with this, he laid the foundation stones of several other projects worth over Rs 17,000 crore.
Yavatmal, Maharashtra
Raising the slogan of ‘Abki baar NDA sarkar 400 paar’, PM Modi on February 28 addressed a rally in the Yavatmal district in eastern Maharashtra after he inaugurated development projects worth thousands of crores, flagged off trains, and disbursed funds under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme to eligible farmers.
MARCH
Dhanbad, Jharkhand
PM Modi arrived in Jharkhand's Dhanbad on March 1 where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 35,700 crore. Sounding the poll bugle during his visit, the PM asserted that the BJP-led NDA would win 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Arambagh, West Bengal
After inaugurating projects in Jharkhand, PM Modi headed to neighbouring West Bengal on March 1 to launch projects worth Rs 7,200 crore in the Arambagh area. In a rally that followed, the PM launched a scathing attack on the TMC government over the Sandeshkali incident.
Krishnanagar, West Bengal
In what he called the “momentum to West Bengal's economic growth,” the PM on March 2 unveiled projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in Krishnanagar. After this, Modi traversed a public rally venue and waved at an eager crowd that had gathered to catch a glimpse of the PM.
Begusarai & Aurangabad, Bihar
After inaugurating projects in Bengal's Krishnanagar, Modi on the same day flew to Bihar’s Gaya, from where he headed to Aurangabad. There, he unveiled development projects worth Rs 21,400 crore. This marked his first visit to the state after the BJP-led NDA returned to power. His next stop in Bihar was Begusarai from where he unveiled a series of oil and gas sector projects worth about Rs 1.62 lakh crore across the country.
Adilabad, Telangana
PM Modi dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stones of multiple development projects related to power, rail and road sectors worth over Rs 56,000 crore from the Adilabad district in Telangana on March 4. Telangana's new Chief Minister, Congress leader A Revanth Reddy, also shared the dias with PM Modi during the latter's visit to Adilabad.
Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu
From Telangana, PM Modi visited a nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu where he witnessed “core loading” at India’s first indigenous 500 MWe commercial scale Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) at Kalpakkam. The PM took a tour of the reactor vault and the control room of the reactor, which, when operational, will make India the second country to have a FBR after Russia.
Hyderabad & Sangareddy, Telangana
After praying at the Sri Ujjaini Mahakali temple in Hyderabad, the PM went on to launch projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore in Telangana on March 5. These projects were related to road, rail, petroleum and natural gas. He also inaugurated the Civil Aviation Research Organisation (CARO) centre which was set up at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad. Later in the day, he also addressed a rally at Sangareddy, where he asserted, "I believe in the mantra of rashtra vikas through vikas of the States."
Chandikhole, Odisha
After his brief stay in Telangana, PM Modi headed to Chandikhole in Odisha's Jajpur district, where he launched multiple development projects worth over Rs 19,600 crore on March 5. "Our government works for the present as well as for the future, with the aim of making a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India)," Modi said during while flagging off the projects.
Kolkata & Barasat, West Bengal
March 6 marked a historic day for Kolkata as India's first underwater metro line was inaugurated in the city by PM Modi. The Rs 4,965-crore Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro's East-West Corridor has the first transportation tunnel "under any mighty river in India".
After the inauguration event, PM Modi held a public rally in Barasat in the North 24 Parganas district, where he attacked the TMC govt in the state for failing to ensure the safety of women. He also met with a group of women from Sandeshkhali, who said the PM lent them an ear "like a father figure".
Bettiah, Bihar
After his stop in West Bengal, the PM flew to Bihar where he unveiled projects worth Rs 12,800 crore. He inaugurated the 109-km-long Muzaffarpur-Motihari LPG pipeline of Indian Oil along with Indian Oil's LPG bottling plant and storage terminal.
Subsequently, Modi addressed a rally wherein he called RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family "the biggest offenders of Bihar".
The NDA will win "all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar" in the coming parliamentary polls, the PM further asserted.
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
PM Modi arrived in Srinagar to participate in the 'Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu Kashmir' programme on March 7, marking his first visit to the valley after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. He dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore and distributed appointment orders to about 1,000 new government recruits in the UT.
Along with this, he also launched 'Dekho Apna Desh People's Choice Tourist Destination Poll' and 'Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign'. The PM also talked about the seven new medical colleges, two cancer hospitals and institutes like IITs and IIMs coming up in the region.
Assam & Arunachal Pradesh
From Srinagar, PM Modi flew to Assam's Tezpur on March 8, where he was greeted by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Starting the next day around nature, PM Modi took the elephant and jeep safari inside the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, marking his first visit to the UNESCO world heritage site.
Subsequently, Modi flew to Arunachal Pradesh's Itanagar to unveil projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in the northeast, including the strategic Sela tunnel that will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang.
Heading back to Assam, the PM unveiled a 125-foot bronze statue of 'Ahom general' Lachit Borphukan in Jorhat. This was followed by the unveiling of development projects (health, oil and gas, railway and housing sectors) worth Rs 17,500 crore in the state.
Siliguri, West Bengal
From the northeast, the PM went to West Bengal and attended an event in Siliguri where he unveiled infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 4,500 crore. Here, he upped the ante against the TMC as he accused the Mamata Banerjee-led party of looting. "The road to oust the corrupt TMC government from West Bengal will open from the Lok Sabha polls," Modi assured his supporters.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Hours after his stint in northeast and east India, Modi headed to north India as he landed in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on March 9, where he held a 28-km long roadshow to the delight of thousands of BJP supporters.
The PM subsequently stopped to offer prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh
On March 10, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several development projects worth more than Rs 34,700 crore across UP from Azamgarh.
While addressing a rally in the city, Modi urged citizens to not link these projects with the upcoming elections but realise that he was speeding up development work to achieve the dream of a developed India by 2047. In total, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of projects worth more than Rs 42,000 crore across the country, both physically and virtually.
Gurugram, Haryana
In a bid to improve traffic flow between Delhi and Gurugram on NH-48, the PM on March 11 inaugurated the Haryana section of the landmark Dwarka Expressway in presence of Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari. This project was among the 114 National Highway projects, worth about Rs 1 lakh crore, across the country that he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of. This was followed by a roadshow in Gurugram.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
On the morning of March 12, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of railway projects worth Rs 85,000 crore, including the launch of 10 new Vande Bharat trains from the Sabarmati area of Ahmedabad. While speaking at the event, Modi said that his government took up development projects to build the nation and not to win elections. From the same location, he dedicated to the nation the Marathwada Rail Coach Factory and launched various other railway projects in Maharashtra.
Pokhran, Rajasthan
From Ahmedabad, PM Modi arrived at the Pokhran firing range in Rajasthan, the site of India's nuclear test, on March 12 to witness the 'Bharat Shakti' exercise that demonstrated the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services.
Speaking at the event, Modi asserted, "Pokhran has become witness to the trinity of India's 'aatmanirbharta (self-reliance)', belief (vishwas) and self-pride (aatma-gaurav)."
Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
PM Modi found himself in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari on March 15, where he attacked the ruling DMK, alleging that the party harboured hatred towards India, its culture and heritage. He also asserted that the BJP would "shatter" the Congress-DMK alliance.
Pathanamthitta, Kerala
After the brief stop in Tamil Nadu, PM Modi made his way to Kerala’s Pathanamthitta where he exuded confidence about the saffron party’s chance of winning in the long-standing Left bastion. "Lotus is going to bloom in Kerala this time,” Modi claimed, before heading to Telangana.
Hyderabad, Telangana
From Kerala, Modi arrived in Telangana's capital Hyderabad, where he held a massive roadshow. Wearing a saffron cap and standing erect on an open-top vehicle, Modi waved to thousands of BJP supporters in the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency in the city.
Nagarkurnool, Telangana
Addressing a rally in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool on March 16, the PM slammed the Congress and the BRS, accusing the parties of shattering the dream of Telangana's development.
Modi also found an opportunity ton attack the BRS over MLC K Kavitha's arrest a day prior, and accused the K Chandrashekar Rao-led party of entering into "partnership with other hardcore corrupt parties".
Kalaburagi, Karnataka
Following his rally in Telangana, PM Modi, on March 16, travelled to Karnataka and formally launched the BJP's Lok Sabha election campaign in Kalaburagi, the home turf of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
Attacking the grand old party, Modi said, "The anger that you have towards Congress in Karnataka, I can understand. Congress is a party that despite changing their costume number of times, their misdeeds don't change. That's the reason people of Karnataka are awake and are angry towards it."
The ECI announced the Lok Sabha election schedule on March 16, 2024, following which the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect.
With the seven-phase elections beginning on April 19, several states will head to the polls in a staggered manner, thereby allowing scope for further campaigning in the coming weeks.
That being said, campaigners will have to adhere to a much more stringent set of regulations for poll processions during the period in which the MCC is in force, which warrants a separate analysis: as of March 21, citizens had already reported over 79,000 MCC violations via the c-VIGIL app, a number that is only likely to rise as the days go by.
The last phase of the Lok Sabha polls is on June 1, following which counting is slated to be held on June 4.
Written by: Riddhi Kaushik, Naina Jain
Edited by: Shiladitya Ray
Production by: Shiladitya Ray
Photos and media: PTI, Reuters, X/@narendramodi
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