Bengaluru: NaMo juggernaut sparks Cong rally

Bengaluru: It’s the battle of the rallies in Bengaluru!. As the BJP prepares to roll out the red carpet for its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, scheduled to address a mammoth meet on Sunday, leaders of the state unit of Congress have chosen the birth anniversary of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to organize a counter rally.

Congress sources said about 20,000 people were expected at the ‘Freedom Park’ here on Tuesday to mark Mrs Gandhi’s birth anniversary, which incidentally will be dwarfed by the 3.5 lakhs, expected at Modi’s Palace Grounds rally on Sunday. 

The Congress wants to give a “fitting reply to Mr Modi” rather than organize an event at the party office located on Queen's Road, as is customary.  Sources said the party came up with the idea of celebrating Mrs Indira Gandhi’s birth anniversary outside the party office on a large scale in order to counter the BJP’s propaganda and in particular Mr Modi’s rally.

“Addressing a press conference may not have any impact. A rally is better,” the sources added, unfazed that the sheer numbers at the Modi rally would diminish their efforts. Vice president of the state unit and former chairman of the Legislative Council B.L. Shankar, insisted it was not unusual. “Every year, we organise events to mark the late Mrs Gandhi’s birth anniversary in different Assembly segments. This year, food and civil supplies minister Dinesh Gundu Rao came forward to organise this event in his constituency. Naturally, we agreed.”