After Rajkot, Narendra Modi to open cricket stadium in Ranchi

After bonding with business honchos during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013 last week, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is preparing to mingle with cricket players.

Modi, who is also the president of Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), will inaugurate a new stadium in Ranchi on the eve of the third ODI of the ongoing series between India and England on Friday. Modi had declared open the Khanderi cricket stadium in Rajkot on January 6.

Sources close to the development regard it as a portfolio-developing exercise by Modi, who aspires for a bigger role at the national level. “He is making his profile with an eye on the 2014 general elections. And one may find him attend these kinds of public functions in future,” a source said.

The president of Jharkhand State Cricket Association, Amitabh Chaudhary, flew down to the city in the first week of January and personally invited Modi. Former GCA chief Narhari Amin accompanied the visitor when the latter drove down to Gandhinagar.

While there is no confirmation about who will accompany Modi on his visit to Ranchi, sources say his convoy will comprise Amin, who joined the BJP before the assembly elections in December.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently suffered a jolt in Jharkhand when the JMM withdrew its support to the coalition government.