Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Modi's journey from 'chaiwala' to PM inspires Odisha tea seller to fight polls

Narendra Modi's journey from being a 'chai wala' to becoming country's 'pradhan sevak' has ended up inspiring yet another 'aam aadmi' as now a young tea seller from Odisha has decided to jump into the fray amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

26-year-old Sukanta Ghadai has filed nomination from the Brahmagiri Assembly seat in Puri district and he has drawn inspiration from PM Modi.

"If Modiji, who used to sell tea, can become the prime minister, why can't I. I know I will lose the elections and also my security deposit, but I am not worried," Ghadai told The Times of India.

Ghadai, a resident of Karimpur village has been running the tea stall since the past three years and is among the poorest candidates to contest the polls. His affidavit stated he has zero movable and immovable assets.

But the lack of money and resources seems to have done little to deter the young tea seller from trying his luck and most importantly, to try and 'fight corruption and poverty'.

With agendas such as protecting Hindutva, stopping cow smuggling and helping uplift the poor, Ghadai also told TOI how the elected government has done little to ensure a corruption-free and developed state, with basic amenities especially lacking in his seat of Brahmagiri.

Ghadai will face BJD’s Umakanta Samantaray, BJP’s Upasna Mohapatra and Congress nominee Mitrabhanu Mohapatra. The seat goes to poll on May 25.

The saffron party has time and again used the 'chai wala' reference during its poll campaign for PM Modi as someone who understands the plight of the country's poor and downtrodden having lived a life devoid of worldy pleasures. Recently BJP leader and Home minister Amit Shah brought up a comparison between Modi and Rahul Gandhi.

"In this election, you have two options. On the one side, you have Rahul Gandhi who was born with a silver spoon. On the other side, you have Modiji who was born to a family of a poor 'chaiwala'," Shah had said.