From Amit Shah to Harbhajan: Star power hits Delhi's election campaign trail

Fiery speeches are one thing, but having a glimpse of a top political leader from the balcony of their house – what more could a devoted fan want?

Top politicians are like celebrities for any voter, often seen on TV screens or hanging on the walls of their bedrooms, but the festival of voting brings them right to their doorstep.

"It was exciting to catch a glimpse of Union Home Minister Amit Shah from the terrace of my house. I waved at him, and he, too, responded by waving back at me. I wish Modi ji, too, visits in coming days," says Malini Sharma, a resident of Kasturba Nagar.

Shah had hit the campaign trail on Tuesday with back-to-back roadshows in multiple constituencies of Delhi.

The Home Minister first took part in a long roadshow from Mool Chand Metro Station to Garhi Chowk in Kasturba Nagar constituency, where the party has fielded Neeraj Basoya against AAP's Ramesh Pehalwan.

A month ago, Pehalwan had switched sides and joined the ruling party along with his wife and two-time MCD councillor Kusum Lata.

On the Congress ticket, Abhishek Dutt would be contesting the polls. Wearing a saffron shirt with a black sleeveless jacket, Shah waved to his supporters and showered rose petals for the entire route as Basoya stood beside him along with New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj. The slogans were loud and clear – Bharat Mata ki Jai, Jai Shri Ram, Vote for BJP – as Shah's car moved at a snail's pace on the jam-packed streets of Kasturba Nagar constituency with a sea of supporters beating drums and trumpets.

People from the balconies of their houses curiously bent over to catch a glimpse of BJP's star campaigner. While the carcade moved ahead, an enthusiastic drummer beating his instrument with full force just 20 meters ahead of Shah's vehicle caught people's attention.

"Kaun jeete kaun haare. Hum apna kaam kar rahe hai. (Who wins, who loses, I'm just doing my job)," the drummer named Shakib Khan told The Tribune amidst the clamor and crowd of hundreds of people who were part of the top BJP leader's roadshow. As the procession kept moving, people could also be seen interacting with Bansuri Swaraj with gestures.

She, too, responded by waving and ultimately bowing down with folded hands. Later, Shah reached Kalkaji constituency where he addressed a large gathering of BJP supporters and sought votes for Ramesh Bidhuri, who he termed as his "dear friend" and a politician who works for the people.

He concluded with a humble appeal to elect Bidhuri. Shah, during his fiery 23-minute speech, raised multiple issues to corner both the AAP and the Congress.

While on one side, he called Kejriwal the biggest liar, on the other, he accused the Congress of insulting "Santana Dharma." Later, Shah took part in another roadshow in Badrapur constituency of southeast Delhi. Roadshows have become a significant part of any poll campaign, and every party tries all possible ways to woo the voters.

While on one side, it is an enthralling experience for a voter, on the other, it is a heavy day for the police and security personnel to manage the safety and security of the VVIPs. The personnel in security detail of Shah, a Z security protectee, had a field day.

Donned in complete black suits, the personnel could be seen keeping people away from Shah's vehicle. Adding to the woes of commoners are massive traffic jams caused by the roadshows.

"I don't even understand the purpose of a roadshow. There is complete mismanagement. Politicians just think about themselves," an angry commuter Siddharth Jaiswal, stuck in traffic for past some time, said.

Just a day before Shah, AAP's roadshow in Laxminagar saw a massive turnout of people who came in huge numbers just to catch one glimpse of star cricketer-turned-politician Harbhajan Singh.

Singh has taken part in multiple roadshows across the capital for the past three days and has drawn huge crowds in AAP's favor.

The enthusiasm, clamour of drums and trumpets, showering rose petals, party workers dancing to AAP's campaign song "Fir Layenge Kejriwal," and AAP's yellow-blue flag in the hands of hundreds of people – this is what defined the ruling party's perfect roadshow.

Singh, often nicknamed as The Turbanator, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party as one of their five candidates from the state of Punjab in March 2022. The former cricketer held roadshows in Krishna Nagar, Shahdara and Laxmi Nagar assembly constituencies, rallying support for party candidates Vikas Bagga, Padma Shri Jitender Singh Shunty, and B B Tyagi.

Responding to a question from The Tribune, Singh said the people of Delhi have faith in party chief Arvind Kejriwal and they trust his leadership. On Singh's campaign trail, the locals had just one demand – a selfie – which he kept taking sitting on the roof of his car, showering rose petals on the supporters and waving at the locals. In Laxminagar, the locals came forward holding white papers in a bid to take their favorite cricketer's autograph.

In Lajpat Nagar, Singh campaigned alongside former deputy CM Manish Sisodia and even stopped by an eatery where they tasted the rich flavors of the capital. AAP's candidate from the Bijawasan constituency Surendra Bharadwaj, where Singh campaigned, said every kid, every woman of the entire country is Harbhajan's fan.

"He gave a message of honest politics, to support an honest man. We fight on agenda while BJP fights on Jumlas," Bharadwaj said. Certainly, the star power has its impact on the minds of the voters, but whether it would translate into votes, all have to wait till February 8.