Sagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for a temple dedicated to Sant Ravidas, a 14th-century mystic poet and social reformer, in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Saturday. The temple, estimated to cost Rs 100 crore, will be devoted to Sant Ravidas, and the Prime Minister will also address a public gathering during his visit, informed a state BJP minister on Friday.
This event marks Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to the state, which is under the governance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and is heading for assembly elections by the end of this year. Just over a month ago, on July 1, Modi engaged with tribal leaders, women from self-help groups, and young soccer players in Pakaria village, Shahdol district.
“Modiji will arrive in Khajuraho from New Delhi and take a helicopter to reach the Badtuma area in Sagar district around 2 pm to lay the foundation stone for a temple (dedicated to Sant Ravidas) and a museum coming up at a cost Rs 100 crore,” MP Cooperative and Public Services Minister Arvind Bhadoria told.
Half an hour later, he will reach the venue of the public meeting near the Dhana airstrip, about 20km from Badtuma, said Bhadoria, who is also the guardian minister of Sagar district, located in north-east Madhya Pradesh.
These two events will also signify the culmination of the ruling party’s ongoing ‘Samrasta Yatras’ (Harmony Journeys), perceived as the saffron party’s endeavour to connect with the Dalit population prior to the crucial elections.
In the previous 2018 polls, the BJP showcased a strong performance in the impoverished Bundelkhand region, which encompasses Sagar, Chattarpur, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Damoh, and Panna districts, and accounts for 26 assembly seats.
During the last assembly elections, the BJP secured victory in 15 Bundelkhand seats, while the Congress managed to capture 9. The remaining seats were divided between the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, each securing one. Within Sagar district, comprising eight seats, the BJP clinched six, leaving two for the Congress in 2018.
Comments