Narendra Modi Arrives In Hyderabad

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Hyderabad, to kickstart the BJP's 2014 poll campaign.

Narendra Modi arrived at the Begumpet airport at a little after 10am, by a special aircraft. He is staying in Park Hyatt Hotel, and no mediapersons have been allowed there for security reasons. Venkaiah Naidu, BJP state president Kishan Reddy and Bangar Laxman were among those who met him after his arrival in Hyderabad.

Modi is set to address a public meeting at Lal Bahadur Stadium, where about 1 lakh people are expected to congregate. The meeting is referred to as "Nava Bharat Yuva Bheri".

The Hyderabad traffic police have already imposed traffic restrictions in the city from 2pm to 7pm, in connection with the public meeting. Interestingly, today is also when 30,000 weddings have been scheduled in the city, thanks to the day being considered auspicious.

Heavy vehicles coming from Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Adilabad, Warangal, Khammam and Medak districts have been asked to stop at Ambedkar statue (Tank Bund) and be parked at NTR Stadium. People in heavy vehicles coming from Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda should alight at Nampally, A. R. Petrol Pump, and the vehicles must be parked at Exhibition Grounds.

People in heavy vehicles coming from RR District and Hyderabad's surrounding areas should alight at PCR, and the vehicles must be parked at Public Gardens.

Similarly, all 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers have been directed to be parked at Nizam College grounds, Stanley Engineering College, Aliya College and Mahabubia College.

Modi's public meeting was originally set to be a higher-voltage affair than it already is, but the Congress' recent announcement of the AP's bifurcation has evidently dampened spirits in the Seemandhra areas. Modi was initially supposed to do a Telangana tour, to express the BJP's solidarity with the Telangana cause. However, recent developments in AP politics led him to cancel the tour. (with inputs from INN)