PM set to storm bastions of Congress CM faces

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to take the fight to the strongholds of the chief minister probables of the Congress in both Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh this week by addressing rallies in Ambikapur, Chhindwara and Gwalior. He will also campaign in Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, the same day as Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The PM will be in Ambikapur on Friday for a big rally in the constituency of TS Singh Deo, the leader of opposition in Chhattisgarh and a CM probable of the Congress, according to people privy to the schedule. In the evening he will address a rally in Gwalior, a region where Congress leader and likely CM candidate for Madhya Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia has considerable influence.

On Sunday, the PM will address a rally in MP’s Chhindwara, the seat of Congress state president and another CM probable Kamal Nath. The same day, he will also address a rally each in MP’s Indore and Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund.


This will be the PM’s first election trip to Chhindwara. ET had earlier reported that the BJP was planning to take the fight to the Congress camp in Chhindwara and Gwalior.

In Shahdol, Modi is scheduled to address a rally at 2 pm while Gandhi will hold a roadshow at 5 pm in Shahdol city. Gandhi will reach out to the electorate in tribal-dominated areas. He will begin with a public meeting in Deori, followed by similar meetings in Barghat and Mandla, and wrap up the day’s campaign with a roadshow in Shahdol. In the city he will begin with a visit to Ganesh Mandir and then go through Burhar Road to Jail Tiraha.

Shahdol parliamentary constituency comprises eight assembly segments – Jaisinghnagar, Jaitpur, Kotma, Anuppur, Pushprajgarh, Bandhavgarh, Manpur and Barwara. It has been a BJP stronghold for the past three assembly elections and the party holds six of the eight assembly constituencies here while the Congress won two in the 2013 election.