India, March 1 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Odisha on March 5 amid rising speculations of alliance between the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly in April.

BJP's Odisha co-in-charge Lata Usendi on Thursday said Modi is likely to address a public meeting in Jajpur's Chandikhol and lay the foundation stone of several developmental projects. After arriving in Bhubaneswar, the PM will begin his trip by garlanding the statue of Biju Patnaik.

Incidentally, the PM's visit coincides with the 108th birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik, former chief minister of Odisha who was famous for his brave acts such as flying soldiers of th...