Bhubaneswar is set to welcome Union Home Minister and prominent BJP figure, Amit Shah, for a critical two-day visit commencing Friday, as he aims to launch a national highway project and engage in important meetings concerning left-wing extremism and disaster management.
Arriving at the Biju Patnaik International Airport at 10:40 pm on Friday, Shah’s itinerary is lined with significant engagements, including the highway project inauguration scheduled for Saturday, according to government sources. This endeavour symbolises BJP’s infrastructure development emphasis and is likely to be a key talking point during his visit.
High on Shah’s agenda is addressing left-wing extremism and disaster management issues during his Odisha visit. These discussions are of particular significance, given the strategic backdrop of the ruling BJD’s recent endorsement of the Delhi Ordinance Bill and opposition to the no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government. With Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also likely to attend, the outcome of these discussions may provide critical insight into future state-central relations and strategy formulation.
While there’s no official confirmation of a one-on-one discussion between Shah and Patnaik, the Home Minister is slated to partake in an airport lounge meeting prior to his departure for the capital on Saturday evening. The details of the meeting and the attendees remain unspecified, fueling speculation about its potential importance.
Shah’s sudden visit, his second attempt after the cancellation due to the Biparjoy cyclone in Gujarat on June 17, takes on an even more significant context. Besides his official engagements, he’s scheduled to visit the local BJP office and conduct a private meeting with party functionaries till 5 PM on Saturday, pointing towards a strategic deliberation within the party ranks.
Thus, Shah’s Odisha visit encompasses a broad range of engagements – from infrastructural initiatives to tackling critical issues and internal party meetings, all of which could be instrumental in shaping the political landscape in the days to come.