NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an early-morning Twitterblitz on Wednesday calling directly on Bollywood and sports stars andothers to urge Indians to vote in the country’s upcoming mammoth elections.
In 29 rapid-fire tweets, Modi tagged cricketers Virat Kohli, Mahendra SinghDhoni and Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Vicky Kaushal, asking them toinspire others to exercise their franchise in the world’s largest democracy.
“Dear @msdhoni, @imVkohli and @ImRo45. You are always setting outstandingrecords on the cricketing field but this time, do inspire the (1.3 billion)people of India to set a new record of high voter turnout in the upcomingelections,” one message ran.
“When this happens, democracy will be the winner!”
Modi, 68, swept his right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party topower in 2014, forming the country’s first majority government in almostthree decades.
But despite remaining popular, he faces a challenge to repeat the feat whenIndia’s 900 million voters cast ballots between April 11 and May 19.
The opposition says Modi’s flagship policies have failed to producepromised jobs, while thousands of debt-ridden farmers have committedsuicide in recent years.
His party however seems to have gained ground after India launched airstrikes on Pakistan last month in response to a suicide bombing that killed40 Indian troops in Kashmir.
Modi, who has a massive 46.3 million followers on Twitter, also reached outto his political rivals, including Rahul Gandhi who heads the centre-leftCongress party.
“A high turnout augurs well for our democratic fabric,” he said in histweet marked to Gandhi.
In his tweet to Bollywood stars Singh and Kaushal, Modi picked dialoguesfrom their hit movies “Gully Boy” and “Uri: The Surgical Strike” and saidthey could motivate youngsters to use their voting right.
“It is time to tell them (youngsters): Apna Time Aa Gaya Hai (our time hascome) and that it is time to turn up with high Josh (fervour) to a votingcentre near you.”
Results from the election are due May 23. – APP/AFP