Did Anna Hazare abruptly announcethe ending of the fast, taking his associates by surprise?
The dramatic announcement by Hazare came at 4 PM todaywhen the activist said he and his aides will end the fasttomorrow.
It did not come at the end of his nearly 30 minute speechwhich started around 3 PM but later after his close aidesArvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Kumar Vishwas had spoken.
His first speech did not mention about ending the fastwhile Kejriwal talked about waiting for next two days to takea decision on the political alternative after going throughthe suggestions from public.
After the speeches of Kejriwal and Bedi, he again pickedup the microphone to add some other points like Lokayukta billin states and not just changing the system at Centre but atthe states also.
Then Vishwas, who was conducting the proceedings from thedais, started summarising the content of all speeches. Hazareagain asked for the microphone from him and announced that thefast will be ending tomorrow evening.
"It is another two years to go to polls in 2014. We haveto go to people throughout the country in the next one-and-half years. Why waste time on fasts? Tomorrow at 5 PM, allfast will end," Hazare said.
His announcement appeared to surprise his team as therewere no indication to that effect in the speeches of eitherHazare and Kejriwal in the afternoon.
When asked whether there was a surprise element in theannouncement, a Team Anna member said there was no need to seea conspiracy angle in it and claimed a decision was taken in ameeting.