Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is being projected as a "cult figure" by his own party ahead of the Assembly elections by preparing 'Modi masks' to cash in on his popularity.
The city unit of BJP has specially got high quality 15 masks of Modi prepared and given to youths to put on to conduct party campaign.
The youths, dressed in the style of the chief minister with the masks, were present when the BJP candidates went to file their nomination forms on Wednesday in Rajkot.
"Modiji is a very tall leader and the person on which the party is banking for victory in the elections. He has a definite following among the people. To show that he is with us, we have got these special masks prepared from Ahmedabad," Rajkot unit president Nitin Bharadwaj said.
"If there are 15 people standing with Modi's mask, they will definitely make an impact on the mind of people," Bharadwaj said making it obvious that the 2007 Assembly elections are fight between Modi and all others in the state.
People who show youths wearing 'Modi-mask' were amused. A man passing on his bicycle by the place - where the BJP candidates and workers had gathered before filing of nomination forms - stopped to have a look and was completely surprised at what was going on. However, when he figured out, he flashed a smile.
"This is a new way to attract attention of voters," he said. After making an impact on the web though social networking sites like Orkut, uploading Modi videos on You Tube and forming online Modi fan clubs, the BJP wants to cash in on Modi's image in the state with his masks.
Not only masks, a Modi look-alike was also made to stand with them.
"Ashok Patel is a BJP worker and he looks like Modi and is present at every function. When he dresses up like Modi people mistake him for the chief minister," Bharadwaj said. Patel will also be used by the party for campaigning, he added. Apart from the masks and Modi-look alike, the BJP has also decided to have big stickers of chief minister Narendra Modi on numerous party cars with the slogan "Jeetega Gujarat".
Bharadwaj said the party has decided to paste transparent stickers of Modi and state party president Purshottam Rupala along with party slogan "Jeetega Gujarat" on maximum number of cars as possible. Elections will be held in Rajkot district in the first phase on December 11.