Prime Minister Narendra Modi took out a roadshow in Palakkad town in Kerala on March 19 (Tuesday) morning, infusing enthusiasm and excitement in thousands of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who greeted him from both sides of the road.
It was Mr. Modi’s second visit to Kerala within a week as part of the BJP’s Lok Sabha election campaign. He had addressed a BJP rally in Pathanamthitta on March 15.
BJP leaders said Mr. Modi would come to Kerala again to campaign for the party’s key candidates in April.
The helicopter carrying the Prime Minister landed at Mercy College ground here at 10.20 a.m. His motorcade reached near the Municipal building by 10.40 a.m. He boarded an open vehicle bedecked with yellow and orange flowers in front of the Municipal building, which was the first urban civic body in Kerala to have the BJP in power.
The roadshow started at 10.45 a.m. from Anjuvilakku junction and proceeded along the heavily barricaded Court Road towards the Head Post Office.
Daring the scorching heat, thousands of BJP workers lined up on both sides of the road from early morning to have a glimpse of the Prime Minister. In a frenzy, they cheered “Modi, Modi” as he passed by them.
Wearing a white half-sleeve cotton kurti with a black lotus badge on the chest and a shawl with black borders hanging around his neck, Mr. Modi sported a saffron cap with a patch of embroidery on it. The cap designed by the Gujarat wing of the BJP is becoming popular among the BJP leaders and workers and is being branded as Modi cap.
He waived to the cheering crowds, and at times did Namaste with folded hands, as they threw marigold petals at him.
Mr. Modi was flanked by BJP’s Palakkad candidate C. Krishnakumar on his left and Ponnani candidate Nivedita Subramanian on his right. BJP State president K. Surendran stood behind with two SPG guards. Although the BJP had announced that its Malappuram candidate, M. Abdul Salam, would also accompany Mr. Modi in the roadshow, Mr. Salam was dropped presumably because of the lack of space in the vehicle.
At times, Mr. Modi threw back a handful of flower petals to the crowds. The roadshow covered nearly 1 km kilometre in half an hour and concluded at Head Post Office at 11.15 a.m.
The Prime Minister proceeded to Mercy College grounds in his vehicle. From there, Mr. Modi left in the chopper.
Security arrangements
Elaborate security arrangements were made for Mr. Modi’s visit. More than 2,000 police personnel were deployed across the town, and many in mufti. Almost all buildings along the 1-km route from Anjuvilakku junction to Head Post Office had police personnel for monitoring.
Heavy traffic restrictions were imposed in the town from early morning until the Prime Minister’s departure. Barricades were erected in two layers on both sides of the Court Road. No shops or business establishments were allowed to function until the roadshow concluded.
BJP workers started flocking in from different parts of the district from 7 a.m. and they waited with excitement in the searing heat. A couple of them swooned because of the heat, but their enthusiasm reached a crescendo as they had an up-close meeting with Mr. Modi.
