Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally in Chhattisgarh on Saturday on the conclusion of two ‘Parivartan Yatras’ carried out by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the poll-bound state.

PM Modi will address the ‘Parivartan Mahasankalp’ rally in Bilaspur, which has electoral significance as the division has 24 of 90 assembly seats in the state.

The first Parivartan Yatra began from Dantewada in the southern part of Chhattisgarh on September 12, the second started from Jashpur in the north on September 15.

The first Parivartan Yatra covered a distance of 1,728 km in 16 days between Dantewada to Bilaspur and reached 21 districts in three divisions.

More than 45 public meetings, 32 welcome meetings and a roadshow was held during the yatra.

This will be PM Modi’s third visit to the Congress-ruled state and second visit to Bilaspur division within 15 days.

The second yatra started with BJP leaders taking blessings of Goddess Khudiyarani and covered a distance of 1,261 km in 12 days, touching 39 assembly constituencies in 14 districts of two divisions.

More than 39 general meetings, 53 welcome meetings were held during the yatra.

BJP did well in Bilaspur in the 2018 assembly polls and its 7 of 15 seats came from this division of the state.

“Our government had changed the face of the state through development works. Since the time of undivided Madhya Pradesh, the state which was considered backward started to be recognized across the country as that of opportunities,” a senior leader of BJP said.

“Our government increased the size of the budget by 14-15 times. We lost the 2018 assembly polls but our prospects remain strong here. Being in power for a long time creates a natural anti-incumbency, which led to adverse results in 2018 but the party soon regained its ground and BJP’s vote share in the Lok Sabha elections increased by a record 18 per cent compared to the assembly elections,” he added.

BJP leaders said they raised issues such as corruption and “promises not being fulfilled” during the parivartan yatras.

Chhattisgarh was carved out as a separate state from Madhya Pradesh during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

BJP released its first list of candidates for 21 seats in Chhattisgarh in August. The party had lost these seats in 2018 polls.

Elections in Chhattisgarh along with four other states would be held before the end of the year.

BJP had carried out Parivartan Yatra during the 2003 polls also and the party remained in power for 15 years. BJP leaders are confident that the parivartan yatras will help oust the Congress government in the state.