The third-largest commercial hub in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune was all cleaned up and quiet, waiting for the action to start this evening at 6 pm when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
The roads are spic and span, traffic is ultra-smooth and Bandra East is decorated with flags and hoardings of BJP and Shiv Sena. Sanitation helper Lakshmi Jadhav and her mate were called early today to help in the clean-up operations. While she reluctantly gave her name, she absolutely refused to let her picture be taken.
Judging from the silence, with no campaigns going on, it is as if the 48 hour cooling off period before voting begins, and which is scheduled for Saturday evening, has already begun!
By 11 am, the long line of OB vans from all the news media channel vehicles had bagged parking spaces and were set for coverage, as can be seen from the pictures.
It is widely expected that the voting from North Central, of which Bandra East is one of the six assembly constituencies, will be a walk-over for the ruling party, which is in an alliance here with the Shiv Sena and the RPI (A)
According to a traffic constable at the Diamond Market circle, preparations for this evening’s event started five days earlier. This evening’s rally is definitely going to be the highlight of the events undertaken personally by the Prime Minister.
The huge crowd that is expected will be allowed only in the early afternoon. That is when the action should begin with the rally being treated as a festive occasion.
Written by Journalism students Martina Bhoya and Annet Anandraj
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