Saffron banners jostled with BJP flags as thousands of enthusiastic supporters cheered and celebrated on Sunday at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow to mark the party’s victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Crowds in saffron caps and kurtas started marching towards the BJP office at Ashoka Road from 3 p.m. — some danced to the beat of drums, others smeared gulal [red color] over fellow supporters and many stopped to click selfies with life-size cut-outs of Mr. Modi and party president Amit Shah.
“Modi ji is the leader of the people and he has proved this through his work in the past three years. That is the reason the party showed such a great performance in U.P. It is all because of him and his effective leadership,” said Mr. Gurubaksh Singh, a supporter who had come from south Delhi’s Dakshinpuri.
Groups of women supporters also poured in. One from Malviya Nagar sat in the middle of the road to sing and play music.
“Modi ji has given us the biggest gift a brother can give to his sisters before Holi. His work has spoken for him,” said Kavita Pandit, a BJP worker.
Straining to catch a glimpse of her “favourite uncle”, eight-year-old Meenakshi Upadhyay was hoisted on her father’s shoulders. “I know him. I have seen him on TV many times. He is helping our nation so that I can get good education and a good job,” said Meenakshi, prompted by her father.
Behind the barricades
As the clock struck 5, the police started preparing the stretch outside the office for Mr. Modi’s arrival. The road was sanitised and people were moved to the pavements behind the barricades. The excitement grew and the crowd cheered every VIP vehicle that passed by, hoping to see the PM. Someone from the crowd called out several times that Mr. Modi would walk down the stretch, but supporters did not want to take chances. The police and the paramilitary forces struggled to manage the crowd.
By 6:10 p.m., the excitement reached fever pitch as Mr. Modi started his walk to the office from the Le Meridian Hotel. While his security detail walked ahead, Mr. Modi waved to the crowds, as supporters cheered and chanted the familiar Har, har Modi, ghar, ghar Modi .
Even as he entered the party office, the crowds stayed on, glued to the large display screen outside. As the PM addressed party workers, the crowd roared ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ at his every message to the cadre.
“This is the first PM in years who has talked about the poor and the importance of their uplift. I particularly liked how he said that this government belongs to everyone, even the people who did not vote for them, even for those who oppose the party. This is a sign of an inclusive government,” said Vinod Tripathy from Noida.
