Denied roadshow nod, PM Modi takes sea-route to reach out to voters in Gujarat

Denied permission for a roadshow in Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took the sea-route to reach out to voters in Gujarat, which votes in the second phase of Assembly elections on Thursday.

The Prime Minister boarded the sea-plane at Sabarmati riverfront to go to Dharoi Dham.

As it happened: PM Narendra Modi's sea-plane ride in Gujarat

The sea-plane took off from the Sabarmati riverfront and then flew above a flyover to go to Dharoi Dham in Mehsana district, nearly 150 km from Ahmedabad.

This came on the last day of campaign for Gujarat Assembly elections.

After landing, PM Modi is slated to proceed by road to the revered Ambaji Temple in North Gujarat, which goes to the polls on Thursday. He will end his month-long high-decibel campaign for Gujarat assembly elections by addressing a rally in Mehsana.

Both PM Modi and Congress party president-elect Rahul Gandhi were denied permission hold roadshows in Ahmedabad by the district authorities citing sensitivity of some areas and traffic conditions. The Ahmedabad police had denied the permission citing law and order issues.

"Request by BJP and Congress for conducting PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi's roadshow tomorrow (Tuesday), turned down by police due to security, law and order reasons and to avoid public inconvenience," Anup Kumar Singh, Police Commissioner Ahmedabad had told ANI.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had requested the permission to hold the roadshow from Dharnidhar Derasar to Bapunagar, Congress had asked premission to hold its rodashow from Jagannath Mandir to Memko Char Rasta.