Roadshow turns into festival as Modi wave sweeps Indore

INDORE: It was as if Indore had turned up for a festival. Thousands lined the streets for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Indore on Tuesday evening.
Chants of 'Jai Siyaram' and 'Modi-Modi' swirled in the air, people held up kids to let them have a glimpse of the PM, hands stretched out to click pictures or wave at him. The 1.5km route took almost an hour.
PM Narendra Modi, who addressed multiple rallies in MP earlier in the day, arrived at Indore airport around 6.10pm, and started the roadshow from Bada Ganpati Square at 6.25pm.
The roadshow passed through Indore-I, Indore-IV and Indore-III assembly seats, before ending at the historic Rajwada, where BJP candidates from all six urban constituencies and senior party leaders had gathered. PM Narendra Modi garlanded the statue of Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar.
The double-layer of police barricades strained to keep the enthusiastic crowds at bay. One fell with a clang as the jostling for the prefect click got a little too intense. The PM's vehicle braked abruptly. PM Modi too lurched a bit as he was standing up on the 'rath'. His bodyguards' eyes darted all around. The SPG commandos cast aside the barricade. All this happened in a couple of seconds, and the rath rolled on.
Many people had brought pictures, paintings and sketches of Modi. Some climbed trees, railings and walls along the route. Nobody was allowed on terraces, where cops stood watch.
Big posters of PM Modi and BJP's candidates hung from buildings. Policemen were deployed even in the narrow lanes of the busy Rajwada area. After the roadshow got over, BJP candidates Kailash Vijayvargiya, Ramesh Mendola, Golu Shukla, Malini Gaur, Mahendra Hardiya and Madhu Verma took a walk on the barricaded route to greet and thank people for participating in large numbers.