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MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega roadshow in Mumbai on Wednesday evening to canvass support for the candidates of the BJP and its allies as thousands of people lined up to greet him.
The roadshow came ahead of the May 20 polling for the six Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai and seven others in the rest of Maharashtra. The elections in Maharashtra will conclude with the fifth phase.
The BJP’s star campaigner started his roadshow amid tight police vigil from Ashok Silk Mills in Ghatkopar (West) in North East Mumbai a little after 7 pm, and concluded it after more than an hour at the Parshawanath Chowk in Ghatkopar (East).
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister addressed two campaign rallies in the state — at Kalyan in Thane district and Dindori in Nashik district — in support of BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP `Mahayuti’ coalition’s Lok Sabha candidates.
Thousands of people lined up on both sides of the barricaded stretch in suburban Ghatkopar, waving to Modi, holding the BJP poll symbol and raising slogans hailing him.
Many gathered in balconies to wave at him, with the younger lot enthusiastically clicking pictures in their mobile phones. People dressed in fishermen’s costumes and traditional attire of the Warkari sect (which worships Lord Vitthal) welcomed Modi along the route.
BJP supporters held placards thanking the PM for “realising the 400-year-old dream” of building a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya and displaying the slogan of “abki baar 400 par”.
Ghatkopar, which has a sizable Gujarati population, is considered a BJP stronghold.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP’s Mumbai North East and Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha candidates Mihir Kotecha and Ujjwal Nikam were present during the roadshow.
Ahead of the event, Mumbai Metro services were suspended between Jagruti Nagar and Ghatkopar stations for security reasons. The services resumed later.
Police also closed some adjoining roads due to the roadshow and diverted traffic.
