GHAZIABAD: Thousands thronged the streets of Old Ghaziabad on Friday, mostly Congress workers but curious onlookers were no less.
Starting her three-hour road show from Ghanta Ghar on GT Road, Priyanka smiled and waved to the crowds amid loud slogans of ‘Chowkidaar Chor Hai’ and ‘Congress Ko Lana Hai, Desh Bachana Hai’ as her cavalcade moved forward slowly.
Senior citizen Prem Mehta looked on eagerly for the Congress star campaigner to arrive at the starting point. “I am here just to see Priyankaji in person. I have seen her on posters and TV, but today we heard that she is coming to the city... So, I arrived here.”
The cavalcade snaked through the narrow Ramte Ram Road with rows of shops of plastic and wood furniture on both sides to moved towards the Congress district office. Band groups belting out remixes of popular Hindi songs all along the way.
Local residents gave a warm welcome to Priyanka, who took selfies on phones of whoever could get near to her car.
“We were waiting for her for past two hours. I am extremely happy that I got to get a selfie with her. I will definitely vote for her. She came over and asked about health and sanitation. We have a big problem of garbage... The street remains very dirty and muck in the drain gets clogged, which cause an overflow of dirty water,” said Kajal Vashne, a student.
Women formed a huge section of the crowd. They were seen enthusiastically standing on their balconies on each floor and waving to Priyanka, who waved back to them.
“Priyankaji threw a garland at me. I was so excited because I was waiving the loudest, and she saw me especially in the crowd,” said a beaming woman. SPG personnel and the police had a tough time to keep the crowd at a safe distance from the Congress general secretary.
So, will the visit boost the electoral prospect of Congress candidate Dolly Sharma?
“I have been here in this market for almost 15 years now. This is a big crowd. Who I vote for is a different matter, but I wanted to see her. The BJP is strong here. It will be a tough competition between the two parties,” asserted Rakesh Kumar Aggarwal, a hardware store owner.