Muslim electric rickshaw driver Rashid Ahmed is fondly called “Our Modi” in his Delhi neighborhood for his striking resemblance to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is now seeking a third consecutive term in the ongoing general elections.
If, as widely anticipated, Modi wins the elections, which end on June 1 with vote counting scheduled for June 4, he will be only the second leader, after Indian independence hero and first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the serve three consecutive terms.
“I’ve been like this since the beginning. But since Modi became prime minister, there has been more discussion on the issue,” said Ahmed, 60, whose white hair and beard, trimmed like Modi’s, along with similar clothing, spurred the comparison.
Living with his wife, children and grandchildren in a two-bedroom house, Ahmed is a celebrity in the surrounding area and is often interrupted in his daily tasks by visitors who want to meet him or take photos with him.
He is known only as “Uncle Modi” to the children there, many of whom he drives to school every day.
Ahmed also attended rallies for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a lookalike of the prime minister, exciting those in the crowd who initially mistook him for the leader.
These events earn him about 1,000 rupees ($12) each, about what he earns daily as a rickshaw driver.
“People give us money [for the rallies] and we also have to accept it because we are leaving work,” he said.
Ahmed is one of several prime minister lookalikes, from a businessman in the financial capital of Mumbai to a food vendor in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, who has appeared in BJP campaigns.
Another Modi lookalike is Jagdish Bhatia, 68, who runs a real estate business in a wealthier area of the capital and belongs to a spiritual sect independent of any religion.
He says he does not accept money to attend BJP rallies because he considers the task a “social service” as he likes Modi’s vision.
“I really liked the way Modi worked, the things he did for the development of the country,” Bhatia added. “That’s why I like being useful to the party.”
Bhatia accentuates his resemblance to Modi by altering his clothing style to match, although Ahmed considers his resemblance to the leader to be coincidental.
“Only time will tell,” Ahmed responded to a question about the election result. “We just want there to be good work… development must happen on all sides… everyone must be together.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
