Grand welcome on Gudi Padwa, BJP plans to paint city saffron for NaMo

Nagpur: The city is set to turn saffron on March 30, which is also Gudi Padwa day, to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has mobilised an elaborate reception plan, finalised during a meeting at Shikshak Sahakari Bank auditorium in Mahal chaired by BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday.
A six-member committee was appointed to oversee arrangements, comprising MLC Sandip Joshi, MLA Pravin Datke, Vidarbha region organiser Upendra Kothekar, state BJP vice president Sanjay Bhende, city president Bunty Kukde, and district chief Sudhakar Kohale. Former corporator Sandeep Gawai was designated as chief of the welcome panel to implement logistic details.
BJP functionaries were instructed to ensure a grand welcome, with 47 key squares along Modi's convoy route to be decorated with flowers, banners, and traditional displays. The party's various wings — including business, legal, women's, and regional wings — will greet the Prime Minister at designated locations, dressed in traditional attire.
"Large Gudhis symbolising the Marathi New Year will be erected, accompanied by cultural performances. Citizens will be urged to gather along the route to express gratitude for key development projects such as Nagpur Metro and premier educational institutions like AIIMS, IIM, and IIT, sanctioned during Modi's tenure," Gawai told TOI.
The Prime Minister will visit Smruti Mandir in Reshimbagh to pay homage to RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar before proceeding to Deekshabhoomi to honour Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Security measures will limit the number of BJP leaders accompanying Modi at both locations to 20, in adherence with official protocol.
Meanwhile, divisional commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari conducted a high-level review meeting at her office on Thursday to assess administrative preparedness. The meeting was attended by MahaMetro director Shravan Hardikar, Nagpur Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhary, Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) chairman Sanjay Meena, district collector Dr Vipin Itankar, joint commissioner of police Nisar Tamboli, and senior officials from various departments.
Discussions focused on logistical arrangements, including Modi's arrival at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, security protocols at Reshimbagh and Deekshabhoomi, and event coordination at Madhav Netralaya and Solar Explosives Company. Bidari issued directives to ensure seamless execution of all plans.
Earlier, Bawankule emphasised during the meeting that not just BJP leaders and workers but also local citizens should be invited to participate in the welcome. "Workers should gather in large numbers at every junction on the PM's route. The city should be decked up with decorative banners, traditional attires, and vibrant displays, including ‘Gudhis' to mark the occasion," he said.