Narendra Modi to address rally in Goa on January 12

PANAJI: BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will address a rally here on January 12 which will set the tone for the party's campaigning for the Lok Sabha polls.

Modi's rally on the outskirts of Panaji next week is expected to be attended by over a lakh people.

Party president Rajnath Singh will also be present for the rally.

State Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who heads the organising committee for the public rally, told reporters today said this would be the only rally to be addressed by Modi in Goa in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.

BJP has already informally announced the candidature of sitting MP Sripad Naik from North Goa seat and its state general secretary Narendra Sawaikar for South Goa.

Parrikar said the formal announcement of candidates would be done only after party's parliamentary board clears the names.

The Chief Minister said the party leaders will be visiting households to invite people for the rally, while he himself will tour 16 constituencies.

The party will collect Rs five each from those attending the rally.

"When a person pays to attend the rally it indicates that he feels belongingness towards it," he said justifying the decision for a ticket to the event.

The money collected would be used to meet the expenses for the rally, he said.

Modi is likely to focus on the local issues in his speech.

Parrikar said the party organisation will brief him about the issues, but "I am not aware about what Modi will speak."

This is the second public meeting that Modi will address in Goa. Soon after he was made the chairman of the BJP's election campaign committee during the national executive last year, Modi had addressed a public meeting at Taleigao near Panaji.