In preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, state-run petrol pumps and fuel retailers in India have begun replacing existing hoardings of the central government’s welfare schemes with new ones featuring the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) poll slogan ‘Modi ki Guarantee.’ The hoardings display the slogan “Modi’s guarantee means a better life” along with a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributing cylinders to beneficiaries of the government’s Ujjwala Yojana scheme. The decision to replace hoardings with ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ slogans has reportedly come from an informal directive from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
Managers of state-run fuel outlets have been instructed to ensure that the new flex hoardings are in place by Wednesday. The cost of this initiative for public sector fuel companies, including IndianOil, Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat Petroleum, is expected to run into several hundred crores. However, these hoardings are temporary and will be removed once the Election Commission announces the election schedule, triggering the implementation of the model code of conduct.
The ‘Modi ki Guarantee’ slogan was introduced by the BJP during recent legislative assembly elections in five states, where the party achieved significant victories in three Hindi-belt states—Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The slogans are part of the political campaigns as parties gear up for the Lok Sabha elections.
