Registrations that ‘opened’ on BookMyShow on September 5, broadcast-grade 4K cameras aimed at reaching production standards of cricket and FIFA events, and a long elevated “ramp walk” that will bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to his audience – Vadodara is ready to stage a major live spectacle.The preparations for Modi’s program on Tuesday (September 8) at the Pavilion Ground at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) are being touted by the BJP as far beyond just a conventional political rally.According to Dr Hemang Joshi, the BJP MP from Vadodara, its format could “set a benchmark nationally”.The PM’s event at one of the country’s premier public residential universities will follow his address at Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Sunday – part of a concerted outreach at the highest level of government and the BJP to students and GenZ, a critical demographic that has been showing signs of restlessness and disenchantment with the ruling establishment.“This is a first-of-its-kind event and will set a benchmark for the country. It is not merely a political rally. The programme is titled ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ and it will be a national event… We opened it for everyone on BookMyShow [on Saturday], and the booking closed within five hours,” Joshi told The Indian Express.Also Read | PM Modi to visit Gujarat on September 8, launch Rs 35,000-crore rail and road projectsJoshi, who was recently appointed as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), said that while the youth will be part of the audience, PM Modi is expected to interact with several intellectuals at the event.Senior BJP leaders said professionals such as lawyers, doctors, chartered accountants, and teachers, as well as businessmen, industrialists and members of the Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industries (VCCI) have been invited to the event.“It is an event where members of the party’s professional cells, industries, and businessmen have been invited. A small number of youth leaders and students will also be part of the event,” a leader said.Story continues below this ad“A curated list of guests has been prepared. Only those who provide the necessary documents will be allowed into the venue,” the leader said.A senior official of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) said the government had approached BookMyShow to act as a crowd-management tool, with a curated list of invitees registered through the platform to ensure smooth entry and to prevent overcrowding at the university ground.According to the official, around 6,000 invitees, including students older than 15 years of age, have been registered for the program.According to officials, a “ramp walk” for the PM is planned – a long elevated stage extension to connect closely with the guests. The PM is also expected to inaugurate developmental works worth Rs 35,000 crore, including Rs 30,000 crore worth of railway projects.Story continues below this adHe will inaugurate three freight corridor projects and lay the foundation for a third and fourth railway lines between Vadodara and Ratlam, as also for the doubling of the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi line.The event is being designed around technology intended to appeal particularly to younger audiences. VMC Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu on Friday announced the use of advanced 4K cameras and live production technology, with the programme to be captured, mixed and broadcast on a scale they have compared with FIFA World Cup and international cricket productions.BJP leaders said the idea is for extensive online outreach beyond the venue. Officials said specialist production teams from India and abroad are expected to be involved in lighting, multimedia, and modern projection technology.The emphasis on technology is part of a wider attempt to connect the program with GenZ and younger voters.Officials and BJP leaders have said the event will focus on the roadmap for a developed India over the next 20 years and seek to encourage greater participation by young people in the country’s economic and social development.According to Joshi, pre-events are being organised to build excitement and public engagement ahead of the PM’s arrival. These include influencer meet-ups, bhajan clubs, cyclathons and other activities intended to generate participation among various sections of the public.Story continues below this adThe use of the university ground, however, has also triggered controversy. Congress leader and member of the MSU Senate, Kapil Joshi, has protested against allowing the Pavilion Ground for the PM’s program, arguing that it is meant for sporting activities, and that its use for the event could affect students and athletes.