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2024 Lok Sabha polls: Amid shower of petals, PM Modi holds road show in Kanpur
Before the road show, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Gumti Gurudwara in Kanpur. He also met a select group of people from the Sikh community.
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Greeted by a shower of flower petals from rooftops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an impressive road show in Kanpur on Saturday evening, infusing enthusiasm among thousands of BJP workers and people who greeted him from both sides of the road.
The two-kilometre road show spanned nearly two hours and covered seven assembly segments of Kanpur and Akbarpur Lok Sabha seats. It was the first by Modi in Kanpur.
Before the road show, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Gumti Gurudwara in Kanpur where he bowed down before the Guru Granth Sahib. He also met a select group of people from the Sikh community.
Modi landed at Chakeri airport around 6pm after which his convoy reached the gurudwara. He boarded an open vehicle bedecked with orange and yellow flowers outside the gurudwara.
Holding an illuminated lotus symbol of the party, he was accompanied by chief minister Yogi Adityanath and party candidates Ramesh Awasthi (Kanpur) and Devendra Singh Bholey (Akbarpur). During the road show, the PM was seen telling Awasthi to show the symbol properly to the people.
Despite the heat, thousands of party workers and people began gathering on both sides of the Gumti Road from late afternoon onwards for the road show.
And as the prime minister passed by them in the evening, they raised the slogans “Jai Jai Kar” and “Modi Modi.”
Wearing a white kurta and striped jacket with the party colours around his neck, Modi waved at supporters, did “namaste” with folded hands and threw back flower petals to the crowd as saffron sari-clad women party workers walked ahead of his vehicle.
Modi had launched the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign for Central Uttar Pradesh-Bundekhand-Awadh region with massive rallies in Kanpur, which BJP leaders said, had always been a lucky charm and stronghold for the party.
They said the impact of this road show would be felt in 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kanpur, Bundelkhand, Unnao, Hardoi and Fatehpur districts. Polling in Kanpur will take place in the fourth phase on May 13.
Elaborate security arrangements were made for the PM’s visit and about 4500 police personnel guarded the outer security layer on the road show route. The Special Protection Group, National Security Guard and UP ATS commandos maintained vigil. Police personnel, including snipers and anti-drone teams, monitored almost all the buildings along the road show route.
Traffic restrictions were imposed and barricades were erected in two layers on both sides of the Gumti-Jarib chowki where the road show ended. The prime minister left for the Chakeri airport and took off at 8.45pm.
He will address a rally on Etawah-Bhartana road in Etawah on Sunday and hold another road show in Ayodhya the same day.
