Congress nominee Bharat Bhushan Ashu visits Ludhiana West polling booths on scooter and meets rival candidates.
Ludhiana: Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu brought a rare show of civility to the rough-and-tumble of Punjab politics on polling day, riding a scooter across Ludhiana West to greet party workers and share goodwill with his rivals.
Ditching a car for a scooter to avoid traffic snarls, Ashu cast his vote early at 7 am and then toured dozens of polling booths, stopping to meet and boost the morale of Congress supporters. "All our workers are out working for the party, how can I stay indoors?" he told The Times of India.
In a moment that made the rounds on social media quickly, Ashu crossed paths with BJP candidate Jeeva Gupta in the Green Avenue area. A video showed Gupta touching Ashu's feet respectfully before being embraced by the Congress nominee. Later, Ashu also shared a warm roadside greeting with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Parupkar Singh Ghuman.
Ashu posted the encounters online with Punjabi captions promoting goodwill, including "Jado marji dekh lai aake, hasde hi rehne aa," — translating roughly to "Come see me anytime, I'll always be smiling."
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