Vishakhapatnam, February 22: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to embark on a series of visits to Odisha starting Thursday, where he will participate in a gathering with party members and address a public event in Mayurbhanj district.

The visit is part of the Defence Minister's two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha concluding on Thursday. On Wednesday, the Minister addressed a gathering at the inaugural event of MILAN 2024 International Seminar in Vishakhapatnam.

MILAN 2024 is the Indian Navy's largest ever multilateral naval exercise commencing here in Vizag with an impressive lineup of warship from Indian and foreign navies participating in the Harbour Phase. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh To Address ‘Maha Kisan Rally’ in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur on March 3.

The Minister will leave for Odisha from Vishakhapatnam in a few hours to attend meeting with ex-servicemen, BJP party bearers and attend public gathering. Singh's day-long visit to Odisha is included in the itinerary of senior BJP leaders visiting different Lok Sabha constituencies in preparation for the 2024 general elections and the Odisha Assembly polls.

The Minister would start the "cluster tour" by attending a meeting with party workers at Nabarangapur and Berhampur districts and a public meeting at Mayurbhan in Odisha. In a post on his 'X' handle, the Defence Minister had also mentioned: "Tomorrow, February 22, I shall be on a cluster tour in Odisha. Looking forward to addressing Karyakarta Sammelans at Nabarangapur & Berhampur and a public meeting at Mayurbhanj. @BJP4Odisha." Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Approves Rs 10 Lakh Insurance for BRO’s Casual Labourers.

The Minister is expected to arrive in Nabarangpur from neighbouring Chhattisgarh this morning for a meeting with ex-servicemen and party workers. Within the next hour, Singh will proceed to Berhampur, where he will assess the party's readiness for the upcoming polls during another meeting with party officials. Later, the Minister is set to arrive at Baripada stadium in Mayurbhanj district around 4 pm, where he will deliver a speech to a public audience.