Bhojpuri superstar and BJP candidate Manoj Tiwari today regaled voters in Northeast Delhi Lok Sabha constituency by singing paeans on BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, while he also listened to their woes.
Starting from Usmanpur village, Tiwari strolled through the lanes and bylanes of the Gujjar-dominated area as locals jostled with him to pour out their grievances.
Their complaints included issues like poor civic amenities, lack of proper drainage system, presence of open sewage lines, mounting garbage and bumpy roads.
Residents said the amenities in this village have been neglected for several years, adding that they were pinning their hopes on him this time round.
As it became increasingly difficult for him to roam around and talk to the people, with locals virtually mobbing him, Tiwari was invited by the village head Pratap Dadha to hold an impromptu panchayat nearby. He was garlanded and sweets were distributed to welcome him.
"I have struggled a lot in my life before I became an actor. This is the first time that I am contesting elections. I don't belong to this field but now want to do something for the society," he told the gathering.
"I will consider myself a hero in the true sense only if I am welcomed by you like this even after five years if I get to serve you after getting elected," the cine star said in an emotional appeal.
Following persistent demands, he sang a song composed by himself: "Bharat Ma hain peeda mein, yeh peeda ki moorat hain. Saara desh pukar raha hai, ab Modi ki zaroorat hai (Mother India is in pain, she is a symbol of pain. The country is crying out that there is a need for Modi)."
Some among the crowd also lent their voices with Tiwari.
After Usmanpur, he visited the Ambedkar College where he was given a warm welcome by students and teachers. As students complained about shortage of colleges, he promised to fight for two more colleges in the area if elected.
Here too, he sang a famous Bollywood number: "Hai preet jaha ki reet sada; main geet waha ke gaata hoon, bharat ka rahane wala hoon; Bharat ki baat sunata hoon."
Tiwari also rode an electric rickshaw to visit the Ramnagar ward in Rohtasnagar, dominated by people from Poorvanchal and Uttaranchal, shaking hands with the people and giving a patient hearing to their grievances.
