Narendra Modi's Kanpur rally on October 20

State BJP leader alleges Railways refusing to give permission to hold rally in railway field

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's rally here will be held on October 20, Kanpur unit of the party said today.

The rally was earlier scheduled for October 15, but was postponed as the date was clashing with two religious festivals.

BJP general secretary Amit Shah will visit Kanpur on October 3 to review the preparations for the rally and meet party workers, BJP sources here said.

The venue for the rally has not been fixed yet, they said.

BJP Kanpur president Surendra Maithani said party workers have been visiting the NCR Railway Headquarters in Allahabad for past one week to obtain permission to hold the rally in a railway field in Nirala Nagar.

Maitahni alleged that Railways was refusing to give permission on the directions of the Centre.

Three lakh people are expected to take part in the Kanpur rally. Other options for the venue include the Moti Jheel field and Brajendra Swaroop park but they are comparatively smaller keeping in mind the number of people expected, he said.

Earlier, the rally was scheduled on October 15, but it had to be postponed as Dussehra would fall on October 13 or 14 and Bakr-eid on October 15 or 16 and district administration would not have adequate security forces at that time, he said.

Congress MP and Coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal has won Lok Sabha elections from Kanpur for last three times and is expected to win this time also.

BJP has not yet announced its Lok Sabha candidate from Kanpur. SP has announced stand-up comedian Raju Srivastava as its candidate, while BSP has nominated youth leader Salim Ahmed to contest the polls.