Farmers, allies at core of PM Modi's rallies ahead of session

It is going to be a busy domestic week ahead for PM Narendra Modi before the Parliament session begins on July 18, as he will be visiting three states over four days, including Uttar Pradesh, and reaching out to BJP’s allies such as Akali Dal and Apna Dal. He will also interact with farmers after the government’s recent decision to increase MSP in a big way.

Venues of five public meetings by PM in the coming week have been carefully chosen — the cotton hub of Malout in Punjab’s Mansa region which is also the stronghold of the Akali Dal, the paddy-belt of Midnapore in West Bengal, PM’s own constituency of Varanasi, Azamgarh, and Mirzapur, the constituency of BJP’s key ally, Apna Dal president Anupriya Patel. The PM may be holding one or two public meetings in UP every month till the 2019 general elections.

Modi will hold a ‘Krishi Kalyan’ rally in Malout on July 11 where over one lakh farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan could take part as the PM speaks on the MSP decision. PM will share the stage with Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Badal.


The PM will then proceed to UP on July 14 where he will first lay the foundation stone of the Purvanchal e-way in Azamgarh before proceeding to Varanasi where he will hold another rally. Mirzapur has been added to the PM’s itinerary for a rally on July 15 to send a reassuring message to Patel who is an MP from the constituency.