India Votes: 'We Will Never Leave Modiji'

In a village of Rajputs, the vote is for Modi even though the BJP is not contesting from here.

IMAGE: The elders of the village of Darshini in Siwan, Bihar. All Photographs and Videos: Rajesh Karkera for Rediff.com

The big gate on the roadside that leads to the village of Darshini is eye catching. It reads Swagat Adarsh Gram Darshini or 'Welcome to the ideal village of Darshini'.

Santosh Kumar Singh, a resident of the village on his way to the bank where he works in the grahak seva kendra, tells us that the villagers who are all Rajputs erected the gate themselves.

Every home donated money to collect Rs 450,000.

"Ours is a unique and model village," says Santosh Singh, astride his motorcycle, "There is not a single FIR against any resident."

The road leading to his village is off the main highway. It is well paved with fields on both sides.

The previous day, elders from his village had travelled to the neighbouring constituency where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public gathering.

Modi has made several visits to Bihar to campaign for the National Democratic Alliance in this election. Bihar is a tough battleground where the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA is in a tight contest with the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led INDIA Alliance in the state.

Some of the elders who attended Modi's rally are seated on a bench near the temple in Darshini.

'We will never leave Modiji, come what may. Even if we are killed, we won't'.

Watch their incisive comments here:

A supporter of the prime minister, Santosh Singh says though there is no BJP candidate because the Siwan seat has gone to Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United in the NDA seat sharing arrangement, the vote is for Modi.

People liberally use the word 'palti' or 'paltu' for Nitish Kumar. "He is in alliance with the BJP, but there is no saying he will not change sides again," he says.

"Most people are saying they will vote for Modi." And even though the BJP is not in the fray since the Siwan seat has gone to JD-U in the NDA seat sharing arrangement, he says, "Kamal ko button dabana hai."