After a frantic appeal by the BJP leaders from Bihar, President Pranab Mukherjee has cut short his visit to Patna, as it was clashing with Narendra Modi’s ‘Hunkar Rally’ on October 27.
The President will attend the IIT-Patna’s Convocation and return to New Delhi without making a night halt. Modi will address the ‘Hunkar Rally’ at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on October 27.
Earlier, the BJP leaders, including former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi had accused JD(U) and Nitish Kumar of trying to sabotage Narendra Modi’s rally by inviting the President to Bihar on the same day. Modi’s Patna rally was planned way back on March 20.
According to the President’s office, Pranab Mukherjee was scheduled to attend a function on 27 October in Buxar, where he was to unveil a statue of late Congress leader Babu Jagjivan Ram. However, as the organisers postponed the function under pressure from the BJP, forcing the President to reschedule his plan.
“BJP leaders will be there in Patna on October 26 to welcome President Pranab Mukherjee. It is honour for Bihar to welcome the President on one day and the future Prime Minister of India the next day,” said Rudy.
The BJP has hired 10 special trains, with 18 bogies each and several buses to ferry people for Modi’s rally. The special trains will run from Kishanganj, Purnea, Araria, Bhagalpur, Saharsa, Bettiah, Bagha and Samastipur among other cities.