The wedding of a scion from India's ultra-wealthy Ambani family, known for its opulent celebrations and VIP-studded guest list, has taken on a political dimension with posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi now lining the road to the venue.
Anant Ambani, 29, the youngest son of Asia's richest person Mukesh Ambani, is set to marry his long-time girlfriend Radhika Merchant, 29, on Friday. The four-day extravaganza will include the wedding ceremony followed by three days of receptions.
"Heartfelt welcome to India's beloved and respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai," read the dozens of posters recently erected by his ruling party workers along the road to Ambani's Reliance Industries-owned Jio World Convention Centre.
Expected attendees include reality TV star Kim Kardashian, former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, and former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson. However, Modi's name had not been listed among the guests shared by organizers.
Modi is visiting the Mumbai area to inaugurate "a project" and may briefly attend the Ambani wedding, said Manoj Shinde, a police official from the traffic department of the Bandra Kurla Complex district where the venue is located.
The posters were not installed by Modi's party but may have been put up by some "excited party workers," said Keshav Upadhye, the state's chief spokesperson of Modi's ruling party.
Modi has faced criticism from Indian opposition leaders who accuse him of being too close to tycoons like Ambani, allegations that the prime minister and his government have denied.
Local officials have deemed the wedding a public event due to the attendance of numerous international and local celebrities, politicians, and business leaders.
Source: The Telegraph