JAIPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Malaseri in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district Saturday on the 1111th birth anniversary of Lord Dev Narayan.

The Prime Minister will attend an event to be held at Malaseri Dungri village, the birthplace of Lord Devnarayan, a revered deity of the Gujjar community.  He will offer prayers at the temple address a gathering and also plant a sapling.

Though this visit has been arranged by the culture ministry, it comes 10 months before the assembly election in Rajasthan.

The Gujars constitute about 9% to 12% of the state's population and wield great power in around 40 assembly constituencies in eastern Rajasthan.

The Gujars have previously staged violent protests for reservation in government employment and educational institutions, and have lately threatened to bar Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from entering the state.

The BJP had provided tickets to nine members from the Gujjar community in the previous election, but they lost because the Gujjar vote-bank swung to the Congress because they expected Sachin Pilot to become the state's first Gujjar Chief Minister. However, this did not occur, and political observers anticipate a change in voting patterns this time around.

Bhilwara Collector Ashish Modi said,  all preparations for the prime minister's visit have been finished. The Bhilwara SP stated that stringent security measures will be put in place for the visit.

The programme will be attended by individuals from Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Rajsamand, Ajmer, and Chittorgarh, in addition to Bhilwara.

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