Prime Minister Narendra Modi is embarking on his sixth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year, where he will inaugurate a slew of infrastructure projects, including the 10-lane Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway.
The project involves six-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275. The 118-km-long project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8,480 crore and is expected to reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around three hours to about 75 minutes, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's office.
Earlier in the day, Modi tagged a tweet by Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari who said the construction of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, which encompasses a portion of NH-275, entails the development of four rail overbridges, nine significant bridges, 40 minor bridges, and 89 underpasses and overpasses.
The Prime Minister will also lay foundation stones for key projects and inaugurate the Expressway in Mandya and Hubballi-Dharwad worth Rs 16,000 crore. He will also dedicate and lay the foundation stones of key road projects in Mandya and Hubbali-Dharwad, the statement said.
"The rapid pace of development of infrastructure projects has been a testament to the vision of the prime minister to ensure world-class connectivity across the country," the statement said.
Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the Mysuru-Khushalnagar four-lane highway. The 92-km-long road project will be developed at a cost of around Rs 4,130 crore.
He will dedicate IIT Dharwad in Hubbali-Dharwad to the nation and inaugurate the longest railway platform in the world at Sri Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station.
Election campaign
The BJP is also expected to step up its election campaign in Karnataka, which is going to the polls in May. The Prime Minister's visit to Mandya, a traditional JD(S) bastion as part of the BJP drive to increase the party's influence in the region, is likely to see a road show and a public meeting.
Last elections, the BJP made inroads into the Mandya district by winning one seat (KR Pet) in the 2019 bypolls. Of the seven assembly constituencies in the district, the rest are represented by the JD(S) legislators.
Two days ago, Mandya independent MP Sumalatha announced her 'full support' to the BJP. Sumalatha, who won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the BJP's backing, has, however, not joined the BJP citing technical problems.
The party may also mobilise people from the neighbouring Mysuru, Hassan, Ramanagara, and Chamarajanagar districts for the Sunday meeting.
(With inputs from PTI)
