Chapter 279: Democracy is not expensive
Adeniwa's office was originally crowded with people, but after hearing Modi's report, he immediately cleared everyone out.
"Mr. Soul, you've come at the right time." He looked very happy.
"As I said, I will lend you a helping hand at the critical moment." Ron waved his hand, and several large travel bags were placed at his feet.
"You are the BJP's eternal friend!" Adniwa opened his arms.
"I'm honored." Ron went over and hugged him.
The most common etiquette among Indians is Namaste or Salat, which is suitable for most occasions.
Hugging is a slightly intimate gesture that is usually difficult to see.
This represents the feelings of alliance, brotherhood and friendship in India, and means that the relationship between the two countries is getting closer.
Now the BJP has opened its arms to Ron, and those packets of money played a huge role.
"Come and see, our situation is very good!" Adeniwa waved.
Ron walked over and found a large sand table in the middle of the office. The map of Gujarat was divided into 182 patches according to the constituencies.
Small flags were placed in each constituency, including a lotus representing the BJP, a palm representing the Congress, and a bicycle representing the Socialist Party.
"According to preliminary opinion polls, the BJP's support rate is close to one-third." Adniwa pointed proudly at the lotuses blooming all over the map.
"An absolute lead." Ron nodded.
"Yes, if we win half of the constituencies, Gujarat will belong to the great BJP."
"This will be a historic victory."
"Yes, it's historic, unprecedented, and a first for the BJP. But the Congress is holding on tight, so we can't let up." Adniwa pointed to several areas in the north on the map and said, "These swing areas are the key to the battle between the two sides."
Ron leaned over to take a look. Those places were just north of Mundra, near the Baba Sheep.
It's no wonder that these constituencies are economically backward, and people are more cautious about who to vote for.
They hope that their votes can play some role, such as solving local employment problems or simply distributing some things.
To put it bluntly, the villagers there are waiting for a good price. They will vote for whichever party offers the most, regardless of ideology.
"There's going to be a very important speech there in a few days. You should go with me then."
"No problem." Ron certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to do a favor.
There is no point in adding icing on the cake, only by providing timely assistance can one show his role.
The 10 million rupees he brought was the key for the BJP to win the swing constituency.
So-called vote-buying requires money, right?
As the party's secretary-general, Modi personally decided how the money should be spent.
After about two or three days of preparation, Ron followed them to several poor areas in northern Gujarat.
The roads there were very difficult to travel on, full of potholes and mud. Sometimes the car got stuck in the mud and they had to get out and help push it together.
The rumbling sound of motorcycles could be heard from time to time on the road. Behind us was a simple shop selling snacks and cigarettes, with an awning supported by two wooden poles.
There is a Qingzheng Temple not far away, and its four green and white minarets can still be seen through the trees.
This place is called Bhuj. You can feel its desolation at a glance. Farmers grow mustard and wheat on both sides of the road.
There are almost no factories, and the only industry that can be called is the brick kilns, whose conical chimneys can often be seen dotted among the farmland.
Signs of development can be seen in larger towns. Newly erected electric poles are wrapped with black wires, but they are not yet electrified.
Many of the town's walls were also brick, but as soon as you turned into the nearby villages, the roads quickly turned to dirt, and the houses became rickety, dilapidated shacks made of mud and straw.
If you want to buy democracy in a place like this, the price is not cheap.
In rural India, the poorer people are, the greedier they are, because they often face the solicitation of three or four different parties.
There are few opposition parties in Gujarat, but if they flock to swing districts, the election will be fierce and more expensive.
No wonder Adeniwa was so enthusiastic when he saw Ron. Only a big businessman like him could afford such money.
The large-scale political rally convened by the BJP is held in the town of Bhuj, about 60 kilometers from the southern coastline.
It was morning when Ron arrived at the rally. The place was packed with people, roughly tens of thousands, mostly men.
The BJP's fanatical supporters wore orange clothes, waved flags and chanted campaign slogans.
Local villagers stood in groups of three or five on the rooftops near the venue. The upcoming event was no less than an entertainment feast for them.
When Indian politicians go to the countryside to attend a rally, they will inevitably make a big fuss and make it known to everyone, and the more luxurious the lineup, the better.
Unlike Ron, who made a low-key entrance in a car, Adeniwa had a whole fleet of cars.
The six vehicles in front and behind are police cars for maintaining public order, followed by imported luxury cars such as Audi and BMW, and in the middle is a Mercedes-Benz truck.
The vehicle is decorated as a chariot in Hindu tradition, with garlands, flags, and sculptures representing gods.
Adeniwa stood on the platform of the truck and kept waving to the people around him. Every time he turned in a direction, cheers broke out.
Mo Daxian followed closely beside him, acting as a political advisor while also enjoying the cheers of the people.
Ron stared at the figure intently, a smile on his face.
Daxian is in particularly good shape today, his face is flushed and he is in high spirits. Perhaps the only thing that can move him is politics.
The convoy slowly approached the stage and the crowd surged there like a tide.
Adeniwa stepped onto the podium with the help of the great immortal. He was wearing a bright yellow short coat and a green scarf on his shoulders.
With his Hindi and highly inflammatory speech, he held the audience captivated for an hour.
In his speech, he also severely criticized the Congress Party for its inaction, saying that they were corrupt, condoned nepotism, used black money, and sold state-owned resources at a low price.
As Ron listened, he felt something was wrong. Was he sure they weren't talking about him?
"I was born to serve the poor. Unlike the top students of the Congress Party, I did not turn a blind eye to the plight of the Jeppes. I brought what the Jeppes wanted most: jobs!"
"Work! Work!" chanted supporters in the audience.
“I am happy to announce that thanks to the efforts of our party, the renowned patriotic company Sur Electric will be setting up a mega park in Gujarat!”
"Long live the great BJP!" A group of people in front of the stage, holding yellow flags, wearing orange hats and lotus badges on their chests, waved their arms vigorously.
"This super-large park can provide at least 40,000 jobs, which means the income of 40,000 families will be guaranteed. This is a great victory!"
There was another round of cheers from below. Under the command of Modi, hundreds of BJP members in the crowd distributed yellow flags, hats and badges to the surrounding people for free.
This is how the cheering team came about. Many of them were brought in from nearby villages by buses sent by the organizers, and some might even receive an appearance fee of several dozen rupees.
"I'm honored to introduce to you today that Mr. Ron Soul, the founder and leader of Soul Electric, is here with you today and will explain everything to you."
Amidst roaring applause, Ron, who had been well prepared, stepped onto the stage from the side.
The audience at the scene was very excited. They didn’t expect it was really Suer Electric!
Everyone knows that when politicians say something, just listen to it and forget about it.
Who knew the BJP was serious about this?
What do people in impoverished constituencies need most? Two kilograms of rice? Or a few dozen rupees?
Neither, they lack a secure job.
If everyone has an income, no! As long as most people have an income, then the economy of this region can be revitalized.
Then there will be no more poor constituencies, and this is the best way to solve the problem fundamentally.
"Gujarat is a very vibrant place, and I feel your enthusiasm." Ron, who was holding the microphone, had not even finished his words when flags began to wave.
Well, Mo Daxian was moving among the crowd, encouraging people to cheer.
His orange shirt was already soaked with sweat, and his beard trembled slightly with the shouting.
Thinking about how the immortal would scream for me back then, Ron felt very happy.
This 10 million rupees gift is really worth it. I guess few people will enjoy this kind of treatment in the future.
Ron made up his mind that when he got downstairs, he would look for the reporter who had filmed this scene.
He would buy the film, develop a few frames, and then frame them in the showroom.
“As Mr. Adniwa said, Sur Electric has big plans for Gujarat”
Ron's speech was not long. He only briefly introduced the future plans of Sur Electric and the mining company that would be opened near Mundra.
They all offer a large number of jobs, especially mining companies, which are very close to Jep, just an hour's motorcycle ride away.
This kind of company, which is located right next to home, is extremely attractive to the audience, as they don't have to take a train and travel thousands of miles to the developed Ahmedabad.
This is great, who would want to leave their hometown?
Ron was on stage for a short time, but he received prolonged applause and cheers.
Adniwa took the opportunity to once again promote the BJP's various governing principles.
“Economy.Gujarat”, how fitting the theme is.
Just by looking at the scene, you can tell that this speech will definitely be very effective.
Ron stood backstage, looking around, silently estimating the cost of such a large gathering.
There were motorcades, stages, video equipment, awnings set up for local dignitaries, and security personnel scattered throughout the venue holding bamboo sticks to maintain order.
There are also the various campaign supplies distributed free of charge to the people who received appearance fees, and the cost is at least one million rupees.
This is just the obvious expense. Other expenses such as opinion polls, political consultants, street billboards, and TV commercials all cost money.
Indian elections are simple and unpretentious, relying entirely on political parties to pour money into the system. Whoever has more money has a greater advantage.
Today's speech was very successful, which can be seen from the smile on Mo Daxian's face.
"Mr. Soul, the Japp constituency has fallen into the arms of our party."
"Congratulations." Ron congratulated with a smile.
"This is a victory for all of us."
"Yes, a victory for all of us."
See, democracy in India is actually not expensive and low-tech.
(End of this chapter)
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