Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that Manipur and the Northeastern region will be the hub of India's developmental mission and the under-construction highways in the state would be linked with the southeast Asian countries to boost international trade. Addressing a rally in Imphal, he said that the previous governments ignored the region, but the BJP worked for governments at the Centre and in the state ushered in a new dawn of peace and development. He said that "there is a sea change in the state now". "The entire government of India was brought to the doorsteps of Manipur people. A large number of Central ministers and leaders are working as 'sevaks' of the region. Five Central ministers are now from the region," he said. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of five national highway construction projects, government residential quarters, Manipur Institute of Performing Arts, Centre for Invention, Innovation, Incubation and Training (CIIIT), the biggest PPP initiative in Manipur, a state-of-the-art cancer hospital, besides several other projects. The visit of the Prime Minister to poll-bound Manipur is set to further step up the political activities before the elections. Elections to the 60-seat Manipur Assembly are likely to be held in February-March along with Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Goa. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India is likely to announce the poll dates next week.