PM Modi Inaugurates Ganga Expressway, Highlights UP Growth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the Ganga Expressway in Hardoi and earlier held a massive roadshow in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, combining infrastructure outreach with strong political messaging against the opposition.

During the inauguration event in Hardoi, Modi targeted the Samajwadi Party and the Indian National Congress over issues of development, law and order, and women’s empowerment . He said Uttar Pradesh had transformed from a state once criticised for poor roads and crime into one known for modern infrastructure and improved governance.

The Prime Minister claimed that the state, earlier associated with pothole-ridden roads and law-and-order challenges, is now being cited as an example of better administration, with expanding expressways and growing air connectivity. However, such claims remain politically contested, with opposition parties asserting that earlier governments had initiated key infrastructure projects and that governance issues were not unique to the state.

Modi also attacked the opposition over the proposed Nari Shakti Vandan Amendment , accusing them of being “anti-women” . He said the legislation aimed to provide reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from 2029, but failed to pass in Parliament after not securing sufficient support.

Highlighting the state’s economic progress, Modi said Uttar Pradesh is moving towards becoming a “trillion-dollar economy” , shedding its earlier image as a backward region. He credited infrastructure expansion and the state’s youth population for driving industrial and manufacturing growth.

The 594-km-long expressway , built at a cost of around ₹36,000 crore, connects Meerut to Prayagraj and is expected to cut travel time from 10–11 hours to nearly six hours. The six-lane (expandable to eight) corridor includes advanced features such as AI-enabled traffic systems and a 3.5-km emergency landing strip for the Indian Air Force.

Developed largely by Adani Enterprises, with a portion built by IRB Infrastructure Developers, the project is expected to deliver significant economic benefits. Official estimates suggest annual logistics savings of ₹25,000–30,000 crore and creation of around three lakh jobs over the next decade. It is also expected to boost agriculture, trade, and tourism, including improved access to sites such as Triveni Sangam.

Earlier in the day, Modi held a 14-km-long roadshow in Varanasi, drawing large crowds along the route. The procession began from Banaras Locomotive Works and passed through several key areas before culminating at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple , where he offered prayers and performed rituals amid Vedic chants.

Devotees and supporters lined the streets, raising slogans such as “Hail Lord Shiva” and “Victory to Lord Ram” as the Prime Minister greeted them by waving and folding his hands. Party leaders said multiple welcome points were set up along the route, where locals welcomed him with flower petals, drum beats, and conch shells. He also briefly interacted with children at the temple corridor.

With Uttar Pradesh heading towards the 2027 Assembly elections, the Prime Minister’s engagements in Varanasi and Hardoi combined religious outreach, infrastructure development, and political messaging , underlining the strategic importance of the state in national politics.