- Prime Minister Modi inaugurated Purnea airport in Seemanchal region ahead of Bihar polls
- Projects worth Rs 36,000 crore, including flood control and new trains, will be launched today
- Purnea airport improves air connectivity for Seemanchal and neighbouring districts in eastern Bihar
As the Bihar political arena gears up for a high-voltage Assembly election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated an airport at Purnea in the politically significant Seemanchal region. The Prime Minister is opening projects worth Rs 36,000 crore today. The development push months ahead of the state polls is crucial, considering the Opposition's strong base in Seemanchal.
Why This Airport Is Important
The Purnea airport is located on the eastern side of Bihar, which did not have an airport so far. So, residents of the Seemanchal districts -- Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia and Katihar -- as well as neighbouring districts such as Bhagalpur and Madhepura, can now access air connectivity easily. Earlier, they would need to go to Patna and Gaya airports in western Bihar and Darbhanga in central Bihar. Some passengers would also go to Bagdogra airport in Bengal because it would be closer than the Bihar airports. These fliers can now access the Purnia airport.
There is a massive economic advantage to the opening of the Purnia airport. The Seemanchal region is a major producer of makhana and corn. The airport will give a major fillip to these industries. Going forward, this airport may also be developed into an international one.
What Are The Other Projects
A major issue in the Seemanchal region is floods that cause heavy damage every monsoon. The Prime Minister is expected to announce initiatives that can contain this annual damage, and this would be a big gift for the region. A Vande Bharat train connecting Jogbani in Araria with Danapur in Patna will also be announced. An Amrit Bharat train connecting Bihar and Tamil Nadu is also on the list. These new trains will boost rail connectivity in Seemanchal. The Prime Minister is also expected to open some more rain lines in the region.
JDU leader and former MP Santosh Kushwaha said, "The development projects the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister are going to gift Seemanchal will transform the region."
The Politics Of Seemanchal
Seemanchal has traditionally been a politically sensitive region. This area has four districts with 24 Assembly seats. In the 2020 election, the Mahagathbandhan won 10 of these seats, nine went to the NDA, and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM clinched five. In the Lok Sabha election last year, two out of Seemanchal's four Lok Sabha seats went to the Congress, and Purnia elected Independent Pappu Yadav. The BJP had to be content with Araria.
Against this backdrop, the BJP would hope that Prime Minister Modi's announcements today would tilt public sentiments in Seemanchal in its favour and boost its prospects in the upcoming election.
All Eyes On Seemanchal Battleground
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also expected to attend the Prime Minister's event in Purnia today. Mr Kumar's JDU has its own base in the Seemanchal region, and today's event will be a show of NDA unity. The Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls and the Waqf Amendment Act are big talking points in this region, which has a significant Muslim population.
In the 2020 polls, AIMIM pulled off a stunner by winning five seats, robbing the RJD-Congress combine of a shot at government formation. The RJD, which was the single largest party in the 2020 election, knows that Seemanchal may hold the key to power.
The question then is, will Prime Minister Modi's big-ticket announcements sway Seemanchal to the NDA's advantage? The Congress disagrees. "The people of Seemanchal know these faces. Plans are being announced at the time of the elections. This is a fraud," Congress leader Kumar Aditya said.
