POLL BUGLE SOUNDED

On September 15, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Ranchi, a heavy downpour prevented his helicopter from taking off for Jamshedpur-125 km from Jharkhand's capitalwhere he was scheduled to address a public meeting.

- Amitabh Srivastava

Undeterred, he flagged off six Vande Bharat Express trains and laid the foundation stones for crucial railway projects via video conference. Later, he travelled to the steel city by road to address the gathering.

From the stage, Modi reminded the audience that it was the BJP that gave birth to Jharkhand, and called the ruling parties-the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congressthe state's three greatest enemies. Modi's rally effectively put the state with 81 assembly seats in full election mode, although the Election Commission has yet to announce the poll dates-set for November. The BJP is also revving its electoral engine, with its Parivartan Yatra set to intensify the campaign.