PM Modi's Saharsa rally today

Preparations and heavy security checks were conducted ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third 'Parivartan' rally at the Ramna Maidan of Saharsa in Bihar on Tuesday. Vehicles were checked and people had begun gathering in droves early at the venue.

People gathering to attend the rally had high hopes from the Prime Minister and expected him to fulfill his promises which he had made earlier.

"We have come here to meet with Modi ji. He is coming to fulfill promises which he had made during the election. He had promised employment to the youth and we hope he will fulfill that too. He had said that he will change the situation in Ara and I am sure he will do that. If the Prime Minister helps us in getting admission in Railways, it might increase our employment," said Sashidev Singh, a local attending the rally.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier said that Prime Minister Modi will announce a special package for Bihar on Tuesday during his visit to the state.

"Wait for August 18, it will be an important day for Bihar when the prime minister will announce a special package for the state." Pradhan told the media.

"Modi has promised a special package of more than Rs, 50,000 crore to Bihar for its development," added Pradhan.

Continuing his tirade against Prime Minister Modi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had earlier highlighted the issue of 'special status' to Bihar and alleged that the former has miserably failed in fulfilling the promises made to the nation.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he had so far heard nothing new about the package, but would wait for details before commenting on it.

"First of all it's a clear-cut violation of cooperative federalism that the state government has been kept in the dark, while BJP leaders are making statements about PM's special package for the state. But, whatever I have heard so far there seems nothing new in the proposed special package," Nitish said.

Nitish Kumar has repeatedly demanded a special status for Bihar and said that anything less won't help in development of the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already addressed two election rallies in Muzaffarpur and Gaya ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls due later this year.