Amid confusion, UP gears up to host Aero India

Uttar Pradesh may host its first Aero India show later this year.

According to sources here, the Uttar Pradesh government has already started preparations to host the show, which has been held in Bengaluru since its inception in 1996.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had, during his recent meeting with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at a function in Aligarh, requested her to hold the Aero India in Lucknow.

Although there was no official word on shifting of the Aero India Show from Bengaluru to Lucknow so far, officials here appeared to be quite certain that it would be held in Uttar Pradesh though they refused to say anything on record.

Sources said that the show could be held at the Bakshi-Ka-Talab Air Force station, which is about 15 km from the state capital.

The event is scheduled to be held in the month of November.

Sources also said that a technical team had recently visited the Bakshi-Ka-Talab Air Force station reportedly to assess the feasibility for holding the mega event and submitted its report to the Defence ministry.

Apparently hoping to gain political mileage ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections, the BJP leaders here are also in favour of shifting the show to Lucknow.

‘’The show will not only help in the branding of the state but will also boost the image of Adityanath...it will help us in the elections,’’ said a senior state BJP leader here.

In Karnataka, both Congress and JD(S) leaders, including Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, have sharply criticised the Centre for ‘’shifting’’ the show to Uttar Pradesh from Bengaluru.

One of the two defence corridors announced in the Union budget would come up in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh.

It would pass through six districts of the state. The state government expects an investment of Rs 50,000 crore and provide employment to around 2.5 lakh people.