Modi to woo voters with cricket gear, volleyballs

Jalandhar (Punjab) - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is all set to stump his political rivals by distributing custom made cricket kits and volleyballs among the youth ahead of assembly polls.
 
The cricket bats and volleyballs carry photos and messages of Swami Vivekananda.
 
The volleyball manufacturers in Jalandhar have been working round the clock for the forthcoming Gujarat assembly polls.
 
Companies in Meerut had outsourced the stitching of these volleyballs to Jalandhar-based firms, who have finished the work and dispatched the boxes to Gujarat.
 
“Actually, a Meerut agency received this order from Gujarat. There are two to three agencies in Meerut. The labourers in Jalandhar have stitched these balls.

These volleyballs have messages and photos and some of them have messages from Narendra Modi,” Sushil Rinku, a local councillor and President of Football Stitchers' Association, Jalandhar, said.
 
The volleyballs are embossed with slogans for Gujarat's development.
 
One of the owners of a sports store in Meerut told mediapersons that the Gujarat government had placed huge orders, and they were given a deadline of one month for completion and dispatch the orders.
 
“We had a tender with the Gujarat government, which had 35,000 volleyballs and there are orders for 10,000 cricket kits. We had got a month's time and all the supplies have been dispatched,” Karmvir, owner of a Meerut sports store, said.
 
The cricket kits contain two bats, six balls, six stumps and four bails.
 
According to media reports, the state authorities in Gujarat had ordered the delivery of the kits and volleyballs, much ahead of the polls to avert the election code of conduct, which restricts political parties from distributing gifts to garner votes.
 
The polls are likely to be held in December this year.