PM Narendra Modi visits pilgrim town of Deoghar, poster war erupts between BJP and JMM to welcome him

Image courtesy: ANI

Deoghar: A poster war has broken out between rivals BJP and JMM, with both political parties splashing this sleepy little pilgrim town with rival saffron and green posters both welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP's saffron-coloured posters have only Prime Minister Narendra Modi on them with the image of Deoghar Jyotirlinga on it. While Jharkhand state government and JMM posters have Prime Minister Modi along with Chief Minister Hemant Soren figuring prominently on green coloured posters, the colour preferred by the tribal party.

JMM's posters say "Johar (Santhali for welcome) PM Narendra Modi", BJP has chosen the Sanskrit word "Swagatham" which also means welcome. The `war' over welcoming the Prime Minister seems to be an exercise in muscle-flexing between the two rivals, where neither wishes to concede exclusive eye-ball space to the other.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the crowd during his roadshow in Deoghar, Jharkhand. pic.twitter.com/oizPa3ouQe — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2022

JMM is an ally of Congress and has formed a government in alliance with it. While states routinely put up posters and buntings welcoming the Prime Minister or the President to their states, rival parties rarely put up their own posters welcoming the PM.

JMM has also put up its green coloured flags with its founder Shibu Soren along with its bow and arrow symbol along the route of Modi's road show.

To counter this, the BJP has set up many stages with performers across the route featuring its several wings - youth, women, and farmers. Several stages have also been put by local communities such as tribal, Sahu Samaj and others with support from the BJP.

Among these posters, another regional outfit, the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU), once an ally of the BJP has also put up its tricoloured green-red-blue flags to mark its presence. 

PM Modi inaugurates Deoghar airport

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 657-acre Deoghar airport, constructed at a cost of Rs 401 crore. He also flagged off the Deoghar-Kolkata IndiGo flight from the new airport, which has a 2,500-metre-long runway to handle the landing and takeoff of Airbus A320 planes.

PM Modi laid the foundation stone of Deoghar airport on May 25, 2018. 

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced that Jharkhand is set to get three more airports, adding that 14 new air routes will be made available in the state to increase connectivity.

Scindia, who is accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jharkhand, said "Jharkhand will soon have five airports. After Ranchi and Deoghar, we will set up airports in Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dumka. Also, 14 new air routes will be introduced in the state to increase connectivity."

(With ANI/PTI Inputs)