Narendra Modi in Vijayawada: Then and Now

There was a sense of Deja Vu in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vijayawada. This is his second visit to the city. He visited the city in 1992 as the party's general secretary. He was largely unknown even within the party and got down at Vijayawada en route to Konark to attend BJP meetings.

Party leader Pilla Ravikrishna was informed about the visit and was asked to make arrangements for Goddess Kanakadurga's darshan at the Vijayawada temple atop Indrakeeladri. Harikrishna received Modi and took him to a restaurant for breakfast. Later, both went and had a darshan of the Goddess. His visit was a low key affair and none knew about him. Even the party city office did not take his visit seriously
But on Thursday, when he visited the city a second time, he was unarguably one of the most popular prime minister. A slew of government and party mandarins were on their toes to receive him at Gannavaram.