Modi files nomination after grand roadshow

Ignoring the Congress complaint against misuse of official machinery, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave a hero’s welcome to Narendra Modi by organising a grand roadshow as its prime ministerial candidate moved in an open jeep from the airport to the collector’s office on Wednesday to file his nomination papers for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Vadodara constituency.

Thousands of his supporters wearing saffron caps cheered him by shouting ear-splitting slogans as Modi, who is enjoying the highest Z-double-plus security, waved back with 1,100 other policemen of Gujarat keeping an eye on the crowds that had lined the two-km stretch in the state’s cultural capital, a traditional BJP stronghold. A tea vendor and a queen of the erstwhile royal Gaekwad family sat by his side as Modi signed the affidavit and other relevant documents and looked at the duo now and then in a bid to prove his popularity among the man on the street as well as the well-heeled voters. While talking to journalists after completing the formalities for his first ballot-box battle from Vadodara, Modi spoke about his school run by the Gaekwads and appealed to Vadodarites to come out in large numbers to “press the lotus button” while voting. Following a recent Central Intelligence Bureau alert that Modi could be targeted by a suicide bomber either in Varanasi from where also he is contesting the polls, or in Vadodara, at least 200 senior police officers, 800 constables and three companies of the State Reserved Police were on their toes on the entire route during his roadshow.

The BJP had won the seat by almost 150,000 votes in 2009. Six of the seven assembly segments in Vadodara are held by the BJP. The seventh was won by an Independent, who soon joined the BJP fold.

Vadodara Congress party president Narendra Rawat had on Tuesday dashed off a letter to Vadodara district electoral officer and district magistrate demanding action against Modi for allegedly violating the model code of conduct.

“Today all newspapers printed photographs of roads being dug. As per the Election Commission’s notification, damage to public or private property by any party or candidate is a punishable crime and cost of the same has to be borne by the party or candidate,” Rawat’s letter said, adding that a special barricading was provided illegally for Modi’s nomination-filing rally on
Wednesday.

— mahesh@khaleejtimes.com

• India