NEW DELHI: Jubilant BJP workers and supporters queued up near central Delhi’s roads to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his roadshow in the national capital ahead of the saffron party’s two-day national executive meeting that began on Monday.
In an atmosphere cheered up by music and slogans, the roadshow began from Patel Chowk and continued till the NDMC convention centre. People showered Mr Modi with flower petals and chanted slogans in his support. Huge cutouts of the PM were placed along the road, besides several posters highlighting various initiatives of the government and also India’s G-20 presidency. Traffic movement was hit in and around central Delhi as several roads were closed for hours. Expecting a huge public turnout, the police had made special arrangements to ensure smooth traffic management.
At the mega event, there was a sea of people as enthusiastic party workers and locals gathered in the midst of the four-layered security arrangements. Stages were erected at places where folk artistes from several states performed at some of them, while others blared patriotic songs. Not only enthused BJP workers but many Delhiites, including children, were waiting for the PM's cavalcade in Lutyens’ Delhi.
As soon as the black SUV from which Mr Modi was greeting the people was visible, elated people cheered and shouted slogans of the BJP and Mr Modi and even showered flower petals. Nisha Sharma, a Delhi resident, said: “So what if we lost the MCD elections, we’re still in power across the country. I’m here to support our indisputable leader, Narendra Modi”.
BJP president J.P. Nadda welcomed Mr Modi at the venue of the party’s meeting, that started after the PM’s arrival. While Mr Modi has been holding roadshows frequently, it is not often that he does it ahead of the party’s executive meet, that has been organised several times in the national capital now.
BJP leaders noted that the PM held a roadshow ahead of the party’s national executive in Odisha, and added the exercise proved helpful in galvanising the cadre and supporters. With the Lok Sabha polls due in the first half of next year, the enthusiastic roadshow will also help energise the party’s unit in Delhi after its loss to the Aam Aadmi Party in the recent municipal polls, they said.
The traffic police said to ensure smooth traffic movement in the vicinity of the PM’s roadshow from the Patel Chowk roundabout on Sansad Marg to Jai Singh Road Junction, special arrangements were put in place. “During the roadshow, Baba Kharak Singh Road, Outer Circle Connaught Place, Park Street/Shankar Road, Minto Road, Mandir Marg, Barakhambha Road, Panchkuain Road, Raisina Road, Tolstoy Road, Janpath, Firozeshah Road, Rafi Marg (from Sunheri Masjid to Rail Bhavan), Rani Jhansi Road, DBG Road, Chemsford Road, Bhai Veer Singh Marg, DDU Marg, Ranjit Singh flyover, Talkatora Road and Pandit Pant Marg remain affected,” the police stated.
