Voting: Citizens' movement lauded

VADODARA: The work done by various organizations, which had made elections an opportunity to increase voters' awareness in the city, has been noticed by BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who contested from Vadodara parliamentary seat. Modi recognized this effort publicly on two occasions, including in the victory speech he gave on Friday.
Modi met representatives of various organizations that were involved in creating voter awareness by organizing carnivals, music concerts, human chains and flash mobs. The groups had also made citizens take pledge, conducted door-to-door drives and made calls to voters on the election day. Several outlets in the city also offered discounts to those who voted.
During his speech while campaigning in Vadodara on April 24, Modi had made a mention of the efforts and said the Election Commission of India should take note of these. He repeated the same again on Friday when he addressed the city after emerging victorious in the polls.
On Friday Modi said, "This is the biggest effort of its kind in the history of the country. I thank them publicly. They should prepare a document of this exemplary effort so that it can be replicated in the future."
But with Modi having said this earlier too, those involved with the process had prepared a document already and presented it to Modi on Friday night when he was leaving the city. Educationist Tejal Amin, Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industries senior vice-president Nilesh Shukla, Federation of Gujarat Industries chairman Amit Patel, businessman Amit Bhatnagar, businessman and Baroda Citizens Council trustee Amit Goradia as well as hotelier Piyush Shah met Modi at the airport. The group was accompanied by state energy minister Saurabh Patel.