New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who began his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday evening, arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday to carry forward his electioneering. He held a massive roadshow in the temple town in which UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took part.
Also, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers and performed puja at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. After a darshan of Ram Lalla, who was ceremonially enthroned at His abode in his presence, PM Modi held a nearly 2-kilometer-long roadshow in Ayodhya. The prime minister kept waving the Lotus symbol to the crowds who gathered and greeted him on either side of the road.
PM Modi's roadshow on the 'Ram Path' was planned from Sugriva Fort to Lata Chowk. The route of the roadshow has been divided into 40 blocks. The event is likely to feature Sindhis, Punjabis, farmers and women clad in their traditional costumes. The visit to Ayodhya on Sunday is his first since the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla in His birthplace on January 22, this year.
Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the Ram Temple, "Grand preparations are underway ahead of the Prime Minister Modi's visit to Ayodhya for a darshan of Ram Lalla and a roadshow. Ram Lalla Darshan Marg Gate no 11 has been decorated with flowers. Giant hoardings of the PM have gone up along the road. The roadshow is to hold on a 2-km stretch from Birla Mandir to Lata Mangeshkar Chowk. Platforms have been set up at various points on this stretch as part of the grand reception to the PM. Ram Lalla Darshan Marg has also been decked up."
"This is his (PM Modi's) first visit to Ayodhya after the 'Pran Pratishtha'. He will visit the sanctum sanctorum and hold a roadshow thereafter till the Lata Mangeshkar Chowk. The seers and mahants of Ayodhya will accompany him during the roadshow," he added. Preparations are underway to accord a grand reception to Prime Minister Modi on his arrival in Ayodhya. The security has also been beefed up as the temple town has been witnessing a huge influx of devotees from the early hours on Sunday, ahead of his visit.
A devotee of Lord Ram, Yashwant Singh, told ANI, "What PM Modi has given to this nation will remain with us for centuries as heritage. We pray that PM Modi returns for a third term and meets the target of 'ab ki baar 400 paar' (400-plus seats this time)." Speaking on the security arrangements in the holy city, Ayodhya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raj Karan Nayyar said the area has been divided into zones, sectors and sub-sectors ahead of PM Modi's arrival.
"Based on directions from the top, we have divided the area into zones, sectors and sub-sectors. We have briefed our personnel on the security protocol to be followed also also marked their duty points to make sure they know about their responsibilities at the places they have been assigned to secure," Nayyar told ANI on Saturday evening.
The entry gates of the temple and the approach roads have all been decked up with flowers and flags ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit. Along with the police, Anti Terror Squad (ATS) and commandos are monitoring all preparations. Security at the airport has also been beefed up.
Ayodhya will be voting in the fifth phase on May 20. Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases till June 1 and the counting of votes in all seats is scheduled for June 4. The polling in Uttar Pradesh, which sends the most members to the Lower House, at 80, is being held in all seven phases of the parliamentary elections. Voting in 16 seats was completed in the first two phases.
In the 2019 general elections, the BJP took a lion's share of the electoral spoils, winning 62 out of 80 seats in the state, with 2 more won by ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP had to settle for just five. The Congress was reduced to just a lone seat. (with ANI inputs)
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