Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his third visit to Odisha in the last fortnight to brighten BJP’s electoral prospects, embarked on a roadshow in the pilgrim town of Puri after offering prayers at the Jagannath temple on Monday morning.
Thousands of BJP workers, supporters and general people thronged the grand road in Puri to cheer Prime Minister Modi as the party is determined to bolster its prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha.
The entire stretch from Marichkote square to Medical square on Grand Road in Puri came under a massive security ring as Modi led the roadshow waving to the crowd with the lotus symbol in hand in the company of BJP candidate Sambit Patra, state party president Manmohan Samal and Puri MLA nominee Jayanta Sarangi.
BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra is in the fray for Lok Sabha elections from the Puri crossing swords with BJD candidate Arup Patnaik, a former Mumbai Police Commissioner.
Patra lost the seat to Biju Janata Dal’s Pinaki Misra in 2019. Similarly Arup Patnaik, who contested from Bhubaneswar LS seat in 2019, lost to BJP’s Aparajita Sarangi.
Meanwhile the second phase of polling for five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 assembly seats in Odisha began amid tight security on Monday, recording 6.99 per cent voter turnout till 9 am.