On Tuesday, during her maiden roadshow in Ahmedabad Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel campaigns for the candidates of ruling BJP for civicbody elections of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation on November 22, appealed the local voters to give her votes as ‘a gift of Bhai beej (bhaiya dooj) to their sister’. CM started her road show from Surelia in the eastern part of the city, repeatedly appealed the voters on the public address system from her vehicle to vote for the BJP as a brother’s gift. ‘I am a sister of Gujarat and sister of yours. For some I am younger and for some elder. I appeal to my brothers to vote for BJP as a Bhai beej gift. The festival has gone by just four days ago. It is a tradition to not to let the sister go empty handed whenever she comes to her brother’s place. Now I am here and I have just one request, please press the lotus button and give me a gift by making all the BJP candidates victorious,’ the CM said amid applauds and cheers of the party activists. The road show went across Asarwa, Memco and other localities, to culminate near police commissioner’s office in Shahibag. It also focused on localities which have sizable population of migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states.
Though herself a Patel, the CM’s roadshow avoided Patel dominated localities of Ghatlodia and Chandolia which are part her own assembly constituency where supporters of the pro-quota agitation led by Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) have put up ‘No Entry’ sign boards at the entrance of residential colonies for BJP campaigners. Mrs. Patel has face opposition from the community during her election meetings in Surat and Bhavnagar in the past two days.
