Darbhanga (Bihar), May 4 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday seemed to be enjoying himself at a rally he addressed in the north Bihar town of Darbhanga.
In a state where the total number of Lok Sabha seats is 40, Modi, the BJP-led NDA’s biggest crowd puller, has already addressed seven rallies, with four more phases of voting to go.
At the election meeting in Darbhanga, the capital of the erstwhile princely state of Mithila, the PM was presented with a garland made of fox nuts (makhana), which grow in abundance in the area.
Donning the “Mithila paag”, a traditional headgear on which the lotus, the BJP’s poll symbol, was boldly printed, Modi spoke for nearly 30 minutes, starting with a few sentences in Maithili, sending the crowd into rapture.
A few minutes into his address, the PM set his eyes upon an enthusiastic bystander, who was carrying a mannequin modelled after the leader, waving it furiously to grab attention.
“Aapne Modi ko bahut nacha liya (You have made Modi dance a lot),” said the prime minister, evoking peals of laughter, before asking the spectator to hand over the figure to the SPG, in an indication that the piece may find itself preserved as a gift.
Mithila is known, across Bihar, for its gregarious culture and the prime minister had to repeatedly urge the crowds to be less boisterous so that his voice could be heard.
At one point, he noticed a fan of the “Vishwakarma yojana” frantically waving a poster of the craftsman deity.
“My dear ‘bhakt’ (devotee) of Lord Vishwakarma, you have caught my attention with your enthusiasm. Now please take your seat. You may be blocking the view for those sitting behind,” said Modi with characteristic chattiness.
At the rally, those present included local BJP MP Gopal Jee Thakur, and other NDA candidates, from adjoining constituencies.
Modi urged the people to vote for all of them, pointing out that the victory of every NDA candidate was important to him.
He made a special mention of Shambhavi Choudhary, who is making her debut from Samastipur on a ticket from Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).
“Please do vote for her. She is making a beginning at such a tender age.
She is our youngest candidate,” said Modi, pointing towards the 25-year-old, whose father Ashok Choudhary is in the JD(U), and is one of the most trusted cabinet colleagues of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. PTI NAC SBN SBN
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