Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first physical rally in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh on Monday was cancelled due to inclement weather and he will now virtually address the election meeting, BJP sources said.

“Arrangements had been made at the Bardaman college ground here for the prime minister’s rally but due to bad weather he could not arrive here,” they said.

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Later, the prime minister addressed the people virtually.

“First of all, I’d like to apologise to you. After some relaxation by the EC, I had thought of beginning my campaign by coming to Bijnor (UP) in person. But due to weather conditions, my helicopter couldn’t leave and I could see you only through video conferencing once again,” PM Modi said.

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“The water in the river of development in UP was stagnant. It was stagnating among the fake ‘Samajwadis’ and their close ones. These people never had anything to do with the thirst of the development of the common man, the thirst of progress, the thirst of freedom from poverty,” PM Modi said.

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“We want that in the next 25 years, when the nation completes 100 years of independence, UP makes a mark with its development story. Our government is making continuous efforts to see that the businessmen, industrialists, farmers here get all possible help,” PM Modi added. 

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Bijnor has as many as eight assembly seats out of which five are with the BJP at present and the rest three are with the SP.

The district, where almost 50 percent population is of Dalits and Muslims, has two Lok Sabha seats, Bijnor and Nagina, both of which are with the BSP.

Five states – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur – go to polls this month. While every state will look to address its local issues through the elections, the political implications of these polls are expected to be nationwide.