Assam gets ready for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit

GUWAHATI: In Congress ruled Assam, preparations are in full swing for the maiden visit of Narendra Modi to the state after becoming the Prime Minister.

While walls and flyovers are being painted, efforts are also being made to clean the streets of Guwahati, the financial hub of Northeast India.

Security has been beefed up in view of intelligence inputs warning of attacks from Jihadi terror outfits. “We have deployed extra forces who are checking all entry points,“ Senior Superintendent of police of Guwahati, A.P Tiwary said.

Modi's Northeast trip will begin on November 29. He will be flagging off the first train from Meghalaya and will also lay the foundation stone of the Bharibi-Sairang railway track.

Apart from attending a confer ence of police chiefs, he will be meeting chief ministers of the eight Northeastern states on November 30. Modi will address a party workers gathering in Guwahati on the same day.

According to BJP insiders, Modi will be spelling out the road map for the party's preparation for the 2016 assembly polls. During a recent cabinet meeting, Modi directed ministers of the NDA to visit Northeastern states frequently.

“Modi has asked ministers to visit Northeast India. Development of the region is a priority for the NDA government. It is good for the region if more and more ministers come here,“ said BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who was in Guwahati on Saturday.

As part of its strategy ahead of the assembly polls, BJP is also trying to celebrate icons of Assam.

Party sources said they want 24th November to be celebrated as Lachit Divas (Lachit Day) every year. Lachit Borphukan was a commander in the Ahom kingdom. He was known for his leadership skills in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat where Mughals were defeated.

“Lachit is like Shivaji and we will move the Centre for declaring Lachit Divas as a national holiday,“ Swamy added.