Bhopal , Feb 11, 2024, IANS

Bhopal, Feb 11 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reached Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh to kick-start the BJP’s campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Modi is scheduled to address a mega rally of the tribals in Jhabua, which is one of the six Lok Sabha seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) in Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for Rs 7,550 crore development projects for the state.

This is PM Modi’s first visit to the state this year, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections slated later in few months. Last time, he had visited Madhya Pradesh to attend the oath ceremony of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on December 13, after the BJP registered a resounding victory in the assembly election held on November 17, 2023.

Importantly, Madhya Pradesh has the highest – six Lok Sabha seats reserved for tribals. Through the Prime Minister's rally in Jhabua, the BJP’s goal is to focus on Scheduled Tribe seats in the Lok Sabha in three states (MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan).

Madhya Pradesh has 29 Lok Sabha seats, out of which, six - Betul, Dhar, Khargone, Mandla, Ratlam-Jhabua, and Shahdol are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.

In his address to the tribal community in Jhabua, Prime Minister Modi will highlight the schemes initiated by his government for the community, a senior BJP leader said.

Despite a landslide victory in the recently concluded assembly elections, the BJP couldn't make much headway in tribal regions. Out of the 47 Scheduled Tribe seats in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP won 24 seats, while the Congress secured 22 seats, which indicated a tough competition between both the parties on Adivasi majority seats, prompting the BJP to make efforts to win over the Adivasi community.