Sonia Gandhi and Narendra Modi

Balasore, April 10: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will be in Balasore tomorrow to campaign for their party candidates.

For the first time during the electioneering, the two stalwarts will address public meetings in the city the same day. While Modi’s meeting is in the morning at Permit ground, Sonia will address her party meeting in the afternoon at ITI ground, barely 1km from the Permit ground. Union minister Srikant Jena is seeking re-election as the Congress nominee. Pitted against him are BJP’s MLA from Nilgiri Pratap Sarangi and BJD’s Rabindra Kumar Jena.

Overwhelmed by the visit of their national leaders, the party cadres are leaving no stone unturned to showcase their strength.

“I will be attending both the meetings along with my friends. It’s a rare opportunity,” said Remuna Square resident Prashanta Dhal, 56.

The electoral battle in Balasore seems to have generated much heat and great interest in the general public as Srikant Jena also happens to be the chairman of the party’s poll campaign committee. Two-times MLA from Nilgiri, Sarangi is considered a heavyweight in the district. BJD’s Rabindra Kumar Jena, who was working in the private sector before joining the politics, too, hails from a political family.

Sonia will also visit tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj district and address a public meeting at Baripada at 11.30am. The Congress Lok Sabha candidate for Mayurbhanj, a retired IPS officer, S.S. Hansda said: “There is a swing in favour of the Congress as the BJD has failed to address various issues pertaining to the Mayurbhanj district.”

Modi is also scheduled to address meetings at Talcher and Keonjhar. Earlier, he had campaigned in Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Balangir and Nuapada.

Considering the stalwarts’ visit to the state on a single day, an unprecedented security cover is thrown in around both for Sonia and Modi. Balasore superintendent of police Praveen Kumar said: “Adequate security measures have been made for the visit of two leaders. The traffic movement will be regulated in the town.”

Angul police banned mobile phones even by media among the security measures taken for the election rally of Modi. “No one, including the members of the media, will be allowed to take mobile phone to the venue. If anyone is found with mobile phone in the meeting place, it will be seized and case will be registered against that person for unauthorisedly taking mobile,” he said, adding except water bottle and a bag for ladies, nothing will be allowed keeping in view of threat perceptions.