President cuts short Bihar visit

President Pranab Mukherjee has cut short a two-day visit to Patna, and will now be in the Bihar capital only on Oct 26.

He was earlier scheduled to be in Bihar Oct 27 as well, the day when Bharatiya Janata Party's prime minister candidate Narendra Modi addresses a rally.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain and vice president Rajiv Pratap Rudy met the President Thursday to persuade him to revise the date of his visit to the state.

"It was a courtesy call since he is coming to Bihar and our rally is on the 27th (Oct 27). The President has now cancelled his night halt and will return to the national capital on the same day (Oct 26)," Hussain said.

The president's press secretary, Venu Rajamony, however, said the visit was cut short as the event he was scheduled to attend Oct 27 was cancelled.

"The president will give a lecture at IIT Patna Oct 26. After the function, he will come back the same day. He was invited for a function Oct 27, but that was postponed a long time back," Rajamony told IANS.

The President was to unveil the statue of late Jagjivan Ram Oct 27.