NEW DELHI: A cold Saturday couldn’t dampen the spirit of Harvilas Sarpanch, as he rose with the lark and reached the Ramlila Maidan for the mega Congress rally in the wee hours.
“The train I was in reached New Delhi railway station at 3.30 am. I was travelling in a group of 14 men and 6 women. It was bitterly cold and foggy when we arrived in Delhi. We made a fire and huddled around it till dawn broke. Then we made our way to the Ramlila Maidan. I wanted to see the Congress leaders, especially Rahul Gandhi, from close quarters, and hence got myself the best seat,” Harvilas, a resident of Johar village in Madhya Pradesh, said.
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As morning melted into day, the venue was buzzing with the cackle of Congress supporters, drawn from almost all states, thereby evoking a pan-India ambience.
The rally saw a turnout in excess of 50,000 Congress supporters and foot soldiers. Giant-sized cutouts of the Gandhis, as well as banners, dotted the venue and full-throated slogans from supporters rent the air, making for a lively ambience. From banners screaming messages such as ‘Pyaz ke daam badh gaye, Modi hai toh mumkin hai (Onion prices are hitting the roof, Modi can make anything possible), to slogans raised in support of party heavyweights Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the tone was set for the rally.
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“For me, Rahul’s speech was the best as he seemed to have a fair grasp of issues plaguing the country currently. He raised valid points and spoke in a language that made it easy for them to connect with the masses. The BJP has still not made any inroads in south India and the Congress certainly isn’t dead,” said MK Shanmugam, who arrived at the venue from Coimbatore. He wore a garland of onions around his neck to protest against the skyrocketing onion prices in the country.
Many at the rally felt that it was Priyanka, who can lead the resurgence of the Congress. “Priyanka has mass appeal. She has what it takes to script a turnaround for the party. She made us understand how the Congress can improve our lives. I believe she can do better than Rahul,” said Rustom Chawra, who arrived from Bhavnagar in Gujarat.