 "Amit Shah in Mumbai: BJP chief to address mega rally today, will meet party legislators from Maharashtra")
On BJP’s 38th foundation day, party president Amit Shah is set to address around 3 lakh party workers at a mega rally in Mumbai. Friday’s event — planned as a grand show of strength for the party — is being held by the BJP to kickstart its campaign for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Union shipping minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP president Raosaheb Danve-Patil and other top functionaries of the party will be present at the rally. Members from booth level to Members of Parliament from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are expected to be present for the mega event. Shah — who landed in Mumbai on Thursday evening — will address the rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) grounds.
After addressing the mega rally in Bandra, Shah is also expected to hold a press conference. Shah would also hold a meeting with the BJP lawmakers from the state at Maharashtra Cricket Association office at Bandra in the evening, reported DNA . On Thursday, Shah chaired a meeting of the party’s Maharashtra unit core committee to discuss party-related issues such as the expansion of organisational base at the booth level and setting up of hi-tech party offices in every district. He also took stock of the preparations for Friday’s mega rally in Mumbai. Danve-Patil told IANS that each Assembly constituency has around 300-325 booths and since 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the BJP has made its presence felt in all booths.
“We want the booth-level workers to come to Mumbai… they are the grassroots functionaries. They should see the ‘viraat-swarup’ (grand image) of the party,” he said on Wednesday.
Since the rally is an internal BJP event, no other parties or their leaders have been invited. Around 80,000 booth heads, 26 wings and unit office-bearers, 5,000 village sarpanches, elected members of 97 big and small civic bodies, all MPs and MLAs, district and sub-district heads who have been entrusted to bring another five-ten representatives each — had already arrived in Mumbai by Wednesday. More than 50,000 buses and vehicles and 28 special trains will ferry the party cadres from across Maharashtra and other states, at the BKC Grounds, all being supervised by Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar. Elaborate arrangements have been made at the BKC grounds with three massive stages, seven marquees for the events and another two marquees for the activists to stay the night. Provision has been made for their comfortable stay with food packets and water supply during the entire duration of their halt in Mumbai. Besides, similar celebrations shall be held in all districts and other states of India, and various people-oriented welfare programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shall be showcased through digital and social media. Follow LIVE updates Narendra Modi’s 2019 rally in Patna here With inputs from agencies