SILCHAR, April 21: Braving rain, Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday led a colourful roadshow in Silchar, the most important town of Assam’s Barak Valley bordering Bangladesh, for BJP candidate Parimal Suklabaidya.
Accompanied by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Shah was standing atop a decorated vehicle which had Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture in front.
The 2-km long roadshow began at the District Sports Association point in the heart of the town at 5 pm and covered Central Road, Premtala, Ambikapatty and Hospital Road before culminating at Radhamadhav Road.
Shah was seen showering flower petals on people who were standing on both sides of the roadshow route braving rain.
He also waved at the enthusiastic crowd that gathered along the way and also at the rooftops of houses and greeted people with folded hands.
“Amidst a sea of supporters in the Silchar Roadshow,” Shah said on ‘X’.
During the procession, cultural troupes of Dhamail, Bihu and Manipuri dancers performed along the way.
Supporters were seen waving BJP flags and raising slogans like ‘Modi-Shah Zindabad’, ‘BJP Zindabad’, ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
The 50-minute-long roadshow brought traffic to a halt with entry to the town through thoroughfares blocked.
The Silchar seat has been reserved as a Scheduled Caste (SC) constituency after a delimitation exercise last year.
Suklabaidya is Assam’s minister for excise, transport and fisheries and is locked in a triangular contest with Congress nominee Surya Kanta Sarkar and TMC’s Radheyshyam Biswas.
Polling will be held in the constituency in the second phase on April 26. (PTI)
