With eye on UP elections, Modi set to lay foundation stone of university named after Jat figure

New Delhi, Sep 13: With an eye on assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to lay the foundation stone of the Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday.

The university is being set up in the memory and honour of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, a freedom fighter, educationist and social reformer. It will be constructed in an area spread over ​​92 acres in Lodha and Musepur Kareem Jarouli villages of Aligarh's Kol tehsil.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, Narendra Modi will address the gathering after the launch.

The university will provide affiliation to 395 colleges of the Aligarh division.

Politically, it is seen as an attempt by Modi to win over the Jat community by naming the university after Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh.

As per the reports, Jats are upset with the BJP over the farmers' issue and the BJP sees this development would pacify the aggrieved community to some extent.

Priyanka Vadra is CM's Face in UP
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid, on Sunday, said that the party will face the next assembly elections in the state under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress General Secretary and party in-charge of UP.

He said that the party will face the election alone and will not form an alliance. "We will be fighting the upcoming Assembly elections under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. She is working hard to ensure that we win. Later on, she may announce the CM's face."

Nonetheless, Congress is open to forming alliances if any party wishes to join hands.

Modi to Visit Aligarh Node of UP's Defence Industrial Corridor
In addition to laying the foundation stone for the university, Modi will also visit the exhibition models of the Aligarh node of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor and the university, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said.

A total of six nodes - Aligarh, Agra, Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi and Lucknow - have been planned in the corridor with the land allocation process being completed in Aligarh Node.

The land has been allotted to 19 firms which will invest Rs 1,245 crore. Thus giving a boost to Modi's ambitious 'Make in India' project.