TWO DAYS BEFORE AMIT SHAH FILED HIS NOMINATION PAPERS FROM GANDHINAGAR-a seat the Union home minister first won in 2019, with a margin of 557,000-plus votes-he visited 30 voters for whom he is the designated panna pramukh. A panna is a page in the electoral rolls, each assigned a pramukh, or in-charge, by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to mobilise support. "Twenty-seven confirmed that they will vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modiji before 10.30 am on polling day. I've requested the remaining three, who plan to travel, to reschedule their vacation," says Shah, settling down for a Gujarati meal, wife Sonal by his side, at the house of a close associate, amid campaigning the following day.
Earlier that day, on April 18, riding a makeshift chariot atop a mini truck, the 59-year-old waved to supporters jostling on the roads under the scorching sun for a glimpse of their leader. "Raise your hands and take a pledge to vote for the kamal (lotus, the BJP symbol) before 10.30 am on May 7," he exhorted a gathering at Vejalpur, concluding his 10-hour-long road show, as hands shot up in unison. "Now I am relaxed," he said, "to campaign in other parts of the country and return here on the day of voting."
With over two million voters in this Lok Sabha constituency, Shah claims that his team has visited nearly every home at least once. The microscopic attention to detail and the presence of thousands of dedicated foot soldiers, combined with the natural appeal of the idea of voting for aapdo manas (our man/ a Gujarati) as the prime minister, are key to Shah's confidence-so much so that he spent only one day holding road shows and rallies before filing his nomination papers.
Esta historia es de la edición May 06, 2024 de India Today.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 06, 2024 de India Today.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Silent Revolution
A Growing Force, The Woman Elector In India Is Realising The Power Of Her Vote And Using It To ***direct Her Own And The Nation's Destiny
The Forbidding Fruit
The disturbed snow cycle, the price of imported urea, cheaper imports from the South Asian neighbourhood-the whole world, it would appear, has been conspiring against the apple farmers of Himachal Pradesh.
Chicken Soup for the Heart
Former veejay, actor and now travel influencer, Shenaz Treasury is out with a book based on past romances-All He Left Me Was a Recipe
CITY OF DREAMS
This anthology of stories about Mumbai is like the city itself-crowded and chaotic, but ultimately illuminating
Diverse Vignettes
Edited by Arunava Sinha, The Penguin Book of Bengali Short Stories is a landmark new anthology which includes several previously untranslated works
A BREATH OF FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Ganesh V. Shivaswamy brings a sharp and balanced approach to his three volumes on Raja Ravi Varma
Time Travel
An exhibition in Bengaluru is showcasing an unseen artwork by legendary artist Raja Ravi Varma
INDIA AT CANNES 2024
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival marks the first time in 30 years that India has a feature film in the Palme d'Or competition section. And there's lots more...
Cusp of Greatness
Shriya Pilgaonkar comes into her own as an intrepid reporter in Zee5's The Broken News
THE GREAT DISRUPTOR
Rapper SlowCheeta is trying to shake things up with his EP, Scene Mein Bawaal