Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced his campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha election by unveiling development projects worth over Rs 19,100 crore at a massive rally in Bulandshahr, Western Uttar Pradesh. The event, attended by an estimated five lakh people in Bulandshahr’s Navada village, took place just three days after the grand ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony at the new Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Addressing the public, PM Modi dismissed the need for a poll bugle, stating, “Modi sounds bugle of development. Modi doesn’t need to sound the poll bugle, the public does this for Modi.” He targeted opposition parties for their ‘false promises’ of ‘Gareebi Hatao’ and highlighted the changing scenario in the country under his leadership.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi addressed first-time voters on National Voters’ Day via video conferencing, asserting the collective strength of 140 crore Indians when he meets world leaders. He emphasized India’s global standing, saying, “Today, the Indian passport is seen with pride across the world.”
The BJP, focusing on the Ram temple, has planned a two-month-long series of events to mobilize support for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The party hopes the rally will give a boost to its campaign in Western Uttar Pradesh.
Bulandshahr, with its diverse population of Lodh Rajputs, Jats, Gujjars, Muslims, and Dalits, constitutes a significant part of the BJP’s traditional support base. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won eight out of 14 seats in Western UP but lost the remaining to the SP-BSP alliance. However, the party secured victories in all seven assembly seats in Bulandshahr during the 2022 Assembly polls in UP.
