Amidst cheers and chants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi drove through the eastern parts of Bengaluru on the final day of his roadshow.
Businesses, especially those that lure a lot of customers in the morning, were temporarily impacted as police issued a notification to all eateries and stores to close till noon in the wake of the roadshow.
The convoy started from the Kempegowda statue on New Thippasandra Road. Prime Minister Modi offered flowers to the statue and conveyed his respects by bowing down. He then boarded an open vehicle and the six-km-long roadshow proceeded through various locations, including Indiranagar 80 feet road junction, HAL 2nd Stage, 12th main road junction, 100 feet road junction, ESI Hospital Road, and Halasuru metro station, finally reaching Trinity Circle.
Despite a light sprinkle of rain in the morning, thousands of people with flowers in their hands and phones held high thronged the barricaded streets to witness the convoy pass by.
The energy and excitement of the crowd remained undiminished, and the cheers and music from the roadshow could be heard even in areas close to the Indiranagar metro station, long after the convoy had passed through the area.
As people showered flowers, black-clad security personnel walked alongside the car.
Rahul, owner of Bangalore Thindies in Indiranagar, said that his eatery was among the breakfast places affected due to the roadshow.
Raghavendra Rao, founder CEO of The Rameshwaram Café, said shutting the shop to let the prime minister’s roadshow pass was a respectful gesture.
"Our team and I were able to witness the roadshow just outside our outlet. It was a moment of pride for us. The temporary effect on our business doesn’t matter as much as this once-in-a-while event we got to see,” he said.