Modi to host lunch for media persons, attend state parliamentary board meeting on Wednesday

Gandhinagar, 12 November 2013

Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be hosting Gujarati new year lunch for media persons at his residence in Gandhinagar.

The Chief Minister holds such lunch every year any day after Gujarati new year. Sometime such lunch is delayed so much that it takes place on Christmas. Last year due to the election code of conduct the Chief Minister hosted Gujarati new year lunch at Ahmedabad based Grand Bhagwati hotel on behalf of the Gujarat BJP. In that lunch the Chief Minister had announced his 3D video campaign. After the elections, the Chief Minister had organized another lunch at his residence at Gandhinagar.

In a typical lunch hosted by him for media persons, Modi first delivers brief address. Sometimes he makes some major announcement and converts the lunch event into a press conference. Last year an announcement on Vibrant Gujarat summit was made. A year before, he had announced reconstruction of Civil hospital in a lunch hosted at CM residence.

In last several years it has been seen that Modi doesn’t sit or mix with media persons, but he chooses to sit with his ministers on a table at some distance which is guarded by bodyguards. Media persons take lunch at some distance away in their own groups that are sometimes joined by junior ministers, MLAs or BJP media team members. The lunch arrangements are made by renown caterer like Gordhan Maharaj or TGB from Ahmedabad.

Some senior journalists have in recent years started skipping Modi’s Gujarati new year lunch because they think, the Chief Minister doesn’t mix well and fails to treat them with dignity.

Before and after lunch, Modi casually meets media persons while passing through the green loan of his residential campus. Most of the journalists prefer to have picture with him on this occasion, but it happens in hectic manner, as Modi continues to walk. Occasionally Modi smiles and identifies some senior journalist by his name while walking.

After the lunch, Shri Modi will attend Gujarat BJP parliamentary board meeting at 4.00 pm at his residence. The parliamentary board meeting will discuss the names of possible candidates for Surat(West) assembly seat by-poll. Party team of Mangubhai Patel, Vijay Rupani and Bhavnaben Dave recently visited Surat to take sense of the local party unit. Purnesh Modi, Narendra Gandhi and Mukesh Dalal are some of the names being discussed for party candidature on Surat(West) seat which is one of the safest seats for BJP.