Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman seeks votes in Modi’s former Assembly seat

Nirmala Sitharaman while campaigning in Maninagar in Ahmedabad on Saturday. (Express Photo/Salman Raja)

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday campaigned for the BJP in the Tamil-dominated pockets of the Maninagar Assembly constituency, which was vacated by Narendra Modi after he became the Prime Minister. During her door-to-door campaign, a Patidar man waved a black cloth at her.

Sitharaman, who was welcomed by BJP workers with garlands, rose petals and drums, began her campaign by garlanding the statue of Bhagat Singh at Khokhra circle. “It is the responsibility of every member of the BJP to contribute and ensure that the party wins in the upcoming election with a sizeable majority. I have come here for the same reason,” Sitharaman said. Modi had won from Maninagar by large margins in three successive polls.

As drums were beaten and local BJP workers threw rose petals, Sitharaman paused in between at the entrance of shops, with folded hands and handed out pamphlets containing a list of “achievements” of the BJP government.

At the Gujarat Housing Board society, Sitharaman stood outside a temple as local administrator Amrutbhai Parmar welcomed her. “She told me to urge people in the area to vote for Narendra Modi and the BJP,” Parmar told The Indian Express later. R Raja, treasurer of Ahmedabad Tamil Sangam said there were around 50,000 families from Tamil Nadu in Khokhra and Amraiwadi.

As she left the road and entered a row of houses, a middle-aged man came running and waved a black cloth. “I am a Patidar and I have been part of the party for the last 20 years. Those in the BJP have only looted and pocketed public funds. Look at the old and poor-quality stones they have laid while paving our streets. I have been complaining and none of the BJP leaders had the time,” shouted Mahesh Patel.