india

Updated: Feb 11, 2019 21:01 IST

It is not uncommon to find wedding invitations requesting guests not to bring any gifts or at times, asking the invitees to donate for charity instead of presenting costly gifts to the newly-wed couples.

But 27-year old Yande Mukesh Rao from Hyderabad is making a strange request while distributing his wedding cards to his relatives and friends. He is asking them not to present him with any gifts at the wedding, but promise to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Rao, a resident of Shamshabad, got a message printed prominently on the wedding invitation cover saying: “Our gift is your vote for Modi in 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” along with lotus flowers on either side of the message.

An assistant engineer in Telangana state power generation corporation (TS Genco), Rao is getting married on February 21.

An ardent fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rao doesn’t mind being called Modi Bhakt. “We are all so busy in our day to day affairs and find it difficult to allocate time and do something for the nation. The least we can do is to support Modi who toils for the nation. Hence, I decided that come what may, I will keep the request for vote for Modi on the wedding invitation,” he said.

He is aware that not many people liked his idea of using the wedding card to campaign for Modi. “I know there are a number of people who oppose Modi. But I support his initiatives like Swachh Bharat by participating in the programmes in my office for three hours every Saturday,” he said.

Rao had to face resistance from even his family members, but he was adamant. “I convinced them. It is my way of showing endorsement for Narendra Modi’s work and asking support for his re-election,” he declared.

Interestingly, Rao supported the Telangana Rashtra Samithi in the recent assembly elections in the state. “But at the Centre, I strongly wish Modi should return to power for a second term. I believe the country is safe and secure under the Modi regime,” he said.

Last month, a Gujarati couple from Surat designed their wedding invitation card with a dedicated page justifying the NDA government’s decision to buy Rafale fighter jets and asking guests to vote for Modi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.