Wooing voters with ‘bus pe charcha’

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 5

With the Lok Sabha elections drawing near, leaders are trying novel ways to reach out to the masses.

City BJP president Sanjay Tandon today left his hi-end Land Rover for “bus pe charcha”. He interacted with common people at the PGI bus stop.

He later boarded a local bus where he got interesting views from people. He first waited at the PGI bus stop to board a bus for Ram Darbar and later at the ISBT, Sector 43.

After getting bus tickets with his aides, he started interacting with people, most of whom were youngsters. He asked them who they wanted to see as the Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha elections. Tandon, who was donning a “Namo again”  T-shirt, exhorted the youth to cast their vote as it was their right.

Diksha and Disha, students of the GCG, Sector 11, told Tandon on board a bus, “After Modi, everything is on an open platform. He has discussed issues with the public.”

Inderjeet, who is doing MA in Sanskrit, said, “I live in Kalka and I am happy that all services have been made online.”

Some passengers posed tough questions to the city BJP chief. A passenger asked him why didn’t the BJP raise the tax limit in the first four years and did so before the elections? In reply, Tandon told him that in the first Budget, the limit was raised and there were other aligned financial schemes which were given in all five Budgets.

Another passenger told Chandigarh Tribune, “Why are they silent on notebandi? All money which was in use is back with banks.”

Tandon, an aspirant for the BJP ticket, told Chandigarh Tribune, “I got the bus idea from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari whom I saw interacting with people on a scooter. By such means, we can interact with people directly on the ground.”

“I got a feedback from people. It is a good way to reach out to people and share their views. Most people were of the view that Modi ji should be the Prime Minister again.”