Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Odisha Visit Confirmed for February 3

Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on an official tour to Odisha on February 3, according to BJP state unit president Manmohan Samal. While the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is yet to release official details about the visit, sources confirm that Modi will inaugurate the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Sambalpur at Basantpur, located on the city’s outskirts.

Originally scheduled for December 2023, the PM’s visit was postponed. The foundation stone for the campus was laid by Modi on January 2, 2021. The sprawling permanent campus spans around 200 acres and was constructed at a cost exceeding Rs 400 crore.

In anticipation of the upcoming General Elections in 2024, the Prime Minister is expected to hold a public meeting in Sambalpur. The visit is particularly significant as western Odisha is considered a stronghold of the BJP, boasting five out of the party’s eight Lok Sabha members. There is speculation that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan may be fielded by the BJP from the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, currently held by Nitesh Gang Deb, according to political analysts.