BJP leaders in Himachal Pradesh expect a major boost to the party’s poll prospects  with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on October 5 to inaugurate the Rs 1,470 crore AIIMS hospital in Bilaspur and roll out three other development and infrastructure projects.

The mega event at Bilaspur, home town of BJP national president J P Nadda, will be followed up with PM Modi flying down to  Kullu to participate in the historic Dussehra festival.

This will help the party to reap the advantage of having a “people’s PM” on their side who can interact with the masses, local leaders said. PM Modi will attend Lord Raghunnath ‘s rath Yatra, an ancient religious tradition in Kullu.

“This is first-time ever in the history of Kullu that a Prime Minister will become part of the mega celebrations to which people are emotionally connected as being a part of Dev-Sanskriti ( deity-culture),” Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Monday as he reviewed the arrangements in Kullu.

But, of course,  the major focus of the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit is definitely the AIIMS in Bilaspur.

“The project has been completed in a record time due to efforts of BJP national president J P Nadda and union health ministry. The Rs 1,470 crore spread over an area of 247-acre on Chandigarh -Manali National Highway will have 750 beds, medical college facilities, 64 ICU beds and 16 OTs” said Jai Ram Thakur.

Till now, people in the state used to depend on PGI Chandigarh or AIIMS in New Delhi for specialised medical care. Several lives used to be lost on reaching Chandigarh or New Delhi. The people of the state will get immensely benefited because of AIIMS ,Bilaspur –a biggest landmark of double engine government, Nadda said at Bilaspur after taking a round of the AIIMS with the Chief Minister.

Apart from AIIMS, PM Modi is also scheduled to launch three other development projects in the state during his visit.

According to an official press release of the PMO , the Bilaspur AIIMS has been constructed with an investment of Rs 1,470 crore. It will have 18 specialty and 17 super specialty departments, 18 state-of-the-art surgical rooms, and 750 beds with 64 ICU beds. The hospital is spread over an area of 247 acres and will have round-the-clock treatment facilities.

Among the projects that the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for is the four-lane of 31-km-long National Highway between Pinjore and Nalagarh. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of a medical park in Nalagarh. It will be constructed at a cost of Rs 350 crore.

Politically, the Prime Minister’s visit will be aimed at signalling that the ruling BJP in the state aims to return to power like it did in winning the assembly elections in UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.

“ We are going to change the custom of alternating the governments after five years as has been the case in Himachal. Our slogan is –Riwaaz Badaldo,” Nadda declared on Monday