As India’s election, which has been going on for 43 days, is about to come to a close on June 1, lookalikes of Modi have become local celebrities.
Rashid Ahmed, a Muslim operating an electric rickshaw, is affectionately referred to as “Our Modi” in his neighborhood in Delhi because to the strong similarity he has with Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who is currently running for a third straight term in the general elections that are currently taking place.
If Modi is successful in winning the elections, which are scheduled to end on June 1 and the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on June 4, he will become only the second leader in Indian history to serve three consecutive terms, following in the footsteps of Jawaharlal Nehru, the hero of Indian independence and the first Prime Minister.
The way I have been since the very beginning is the same. But ever since Modi became prime minister, there has been a greater amount of conversation about it,” said Ahmed, who is sixty years old. Ahmed’s white hair and beard, which were cut in the same manner as Modi’s, combined with attire that was comparable, prompted the comparison.
Ahmed, who resides in a two-room home with his wife, children, and grandchildren, is a well-known figure in the neighborhood. As a result, he is frequently interrupted in the course of his daily activities by guests who wish to meet him or take photographs with him.
To the youngsters that live there, he is solely referred to as “Modi uncle,” and he is responsible for driving many of them to school each day.
Additionally, Ahmed has been seen attending rallies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a prime ministerial lookalike, which has led to the excitement of people in the crowd who initially confused him for the leader of the party.
Approximately one thousand rupees, which is equivalent to twelve dollars, is the amount of money that he earns from his profession as a rickshaw driver each day during these events.
“People do give us money [for the rallies], and we also have to take it because we are leaving work,” he said. “We had no choice but to accept it.”
Ahmed is one of several prime ministerial lookalikes that have been featured in BJP campaigns. These lookalikes range from a businessman in Mumbai, the financial hub of India, to a food seller in Gujarat, Modi’s home state in western India. Gandhi comes from Gujarat.
Jagdish Bhatia, who is 68 years old and manages a real estate business in a more affluent district of the capital, is another someone who resembles Modi. Bhatia is a member of a spiritual sect that is not affiliated with any particular religion.
He claims that he does not accept payment for attending BJP rallies because he views the activity as a “social service” and because he admires Modi’s agenda.
The way that Modi worked and the things that he accomplished for the development of the country were both something that Bhatia found to be quite admirable. To put it another way, I would like to be of some assistance to the celebration.
Although Bhatia emphasizes his similarity to Modi by adjusting his clothing style to match, Ahmed dismisses his own resemblance to the leader as a coincidence. Bhatia’s clothing style is comparable to Modi’s.
The response that Ahmed gave to a question concerning the outcome of the election was, “Only time will tell.” The only thing that we want is for there to be successful work… All sides should be included in the development process… Everybody ought to be in the same place.”
Also Read: In east India, the fight is between BJP and the regional parties