‘FIFA-style’ production, registrations on BookMyShow: Vadodara prepares for PM Modi
After SRCC in Delhi, Prime Minister will speak at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda as continuation of the BJP’s GenZ outreach. Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi says the program will set a ‘national benchmark’.
Registrations that ‘opened’ on BookMyShow on September 5, broadcast-grade 4K cameras aimed at reaching production standards of cricket and FIFA events, and a long elevated “ramp walk” that will bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to his audience – Vadodara is ready to stage a major live spectacle.
The preparations for Modi’s program on Tuesday (September 8) at the Pavilion Ground at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) are being touted by the BJP as far beyond just a conventional political rally.
According to Dr Hemang Joshi, the BJP MP from Vadodara, its format could “set a benchmark nationally”.
The PM’s event at one of the country’s premier public residential universities will follow his address at Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Sunday – part of a concerted outreach at the highest level of government and the BJP to students and GenZ, a critical demographic that has been showing signs of restlessness and disenchantment with the ruling establishment.
“This is a first-of-its-kind event and will set a benchmark for the country. It is not merely a political rally. The programme is titled ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ and it will be a national event… We opened it for everyone on BookMyShow [on Saturday], and the booking closed within five hours,” Joshi told The Indian Express.
Joshi, who was recently appointed as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), said that while the youth will be part of the audience, PM Modi is expected to interact with several intellectuals at the event.
Senior BJP leaders said professionals such as lawyers, doctors, chartered accountants, and teachers, as well as businessmen, industrialists and members of the Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industries (VCCI) have been invited to the event.
“It is an event where members of the party’s professional cells, industries, and businessmen have been invited. A small number of youth leaders and students will also be part of the event,” a leader said.
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“A curated list of guests has been prepared. Only those who provide the necessary documents will be allowed into the venue,” the leader said.
A senior official of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) said the government had approached BookMyShow to act as a crowd-management tool, with a curated list of invitees registered through the platform to ensure smooth entry and to prevent overcrowding at the university ground.
According to the official, around 6,000 invitees, including students older than 15 years of age, have been registered for the program.
According to officials, a “ramp walk” for the PM is planned – a long elevated stage extension to connect closely with the guests. The PM is also expected to inaugurate developmental works worth Rs 35,000 crore, including Rs 30,000 crore worth of railway projects.
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He will inaugurate three freight corridor projects and lay the foundation for a third and fourth railway lines between Vadodara and Ratlam, as also for the doubling of the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi line.
The event is being designed around technology intended to appeal particularly to younger audiences. VMC Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu on Friday announced the use of advanced 4K cameras and live production technology, with the programme to be captured, mixed and broadcast on a scale they have compared with FIFA World Cup and international cricket productions.
BJP leaders said the idea is for extensive online outreach beyond the venue. Officials said specialist production teams from India and abroad are expected to be involved in lighting, multimedia, and modern projection technology.
The emphasis on technology is part of a wider attempt to connect the program with GenZ and younger voters.
Officials and BJP leaders have said the event will focus on the roadmap for a developed India over the next 20 years and seek to encourage greater participation by young people in the country’s economic and social development.
According to Joshi, pre-events are being organised to build excitement and public engagement ahead of the PM’s arrival. These include influencer meet-ups, bhajan clubs, cyclathons and other activities intended to generate participation among various sections of the public.
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The use of the university ground, however, has also triggered controversy. Congress leader and member of the MSU Senate, Kapil Joshi, has protested against allowing the Pavilion Ground for the PM’s program, arguing that it is meant for sporting activities, and that its use for the event could affect students and athletes.
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).
Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More
