Thiruvalla (Kerala), April 4 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's journey to a rally here from a helipad in the nearby town of Changanassery turned into an unplanned roadshow as hundreds of people lined up on both sides of the approximately eight-kilometer-long route, surprising even him.
Seeing the large number of people who had turned up to greet him, Modi stepped out onto the footboard of his vehicle and waved at the crowd as his convoy slowed down to the pace usually adopted for roadshows.
The PM also waved a hand-held lotus symbol at the crowd, which cheered him along the entire route.
People of all ages and from all walks of life had turned up along the PM's route to greet him.
At the rally, Modi referred to the experience and said that there were more people waiting for him on the roadside than there were at the stadium for the public meeting.
"I was very surprised, as no roadshow had been planned. But along the entire route, there were so many people. People talk about the human chain, but the public along my route had formed a human wall," he said.
The PM also shared a video of the unplanned roadshow on his X handle with the message – "This is how Thiruvalla welcomed me! Grateful for the affection."
Modi landed in Kochi and travelled to the Changanassery NSS College ground in Kottayam district by helicopter. From there, he travelled to the Thiruvalla stadium in Pathanamthitta district by road.
At the rally, he also spoke about the BJP candidate for the Thiruvalla Assembly seat, Anoop Antony, and said that while Kerala stood to gain in this election, he might lose something personally.
“Anoop, the NDA candidate, has worked with me for the past five years with unwavering dedication. He has been a trusted aide – quiet, sincere, and tireless – working around the clock”.
"I felt that Kerala needed the service and energy of this young leader. Today, I entrust Anoop to you to serve the people of Kerala," he said.
NDA candidates from other constituencies in Pathanamthitta district were also present on the dais.
Modi received several gifts, including a 'kathakali' headdress, a 'vel' – a divine spear-like weapon associated with Lord Murugan, an 'Aranmula Kannadi' - a unique handmade metal-alloy mirror, a Jesus Christ figurine and a Padayani Thappu – a traditional percussion instrument from Kerala.
The PM then briefly played the instrument on stage, evoking a huge response from the crowd that had turned up for the public meeting.