World | India
Gear up for general polls, Mayawati tells partymen
It had the look of a country fair, but of a political variety, as hundreds of thousands of men, women and even children in colourful clothes, thronged the national capital's Ramlila grounds yesterday to hear Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati speak.
- IANS
- Published: 21:03 February 24, 2008
New Delhi: It had the look of a country fair, but of a political variety, as hundreds of thousands of men, women and even children in colourful clothes, thronged the national capital's Ramlila grounds yesterday to hear Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati speak.
Aiming to head the next government in New Delhi, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BSP president exhorted the 70,000-strong supporters to get ready for the coming Lok Sabha elections.
"We want to form the government in Delhi. And if we have enough MPs, we can form a government in the union," she said.
Vendors selling books, audio and video cassettes, badges, life-sized posters, trophies and other trinkets, all either on Mayawati or Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar lined the entrance gates of the ground.
It was a sea of humanity, with women in black burqas and colourful saris, men in kurtas and caps, children and the elderly arriving in hordes in buses and trucks, holding banners and shouting slogans.
Blue was the dominant colour of caps and flags -the trademark colour of the BSP.
Some took the Metro while still others came on foot. Traffic came to a crawl with the crowds thronging the venue.
People alighted from buses shouting slogans such as "Delhi is echoing with only one slogan, the elephant (party symbol) is moving towards victory)," "Behenji (sister) we are with you".
"We have come to listen to Behenji [or elder sister, as Mayawati is called by her supporters]," said Ashok Mandal, who came all the way from Gorakhpur in a bus with his entire family for the BSP's Sarv Samaj Bhaichara (brotherhood rally).
"It's a great occasion, to have an opportunity to come and hear her and lend her our support. I couldn''t have missed this for anything. She is a great leader," said Mandal with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson standing beside.
The huge crowds meant good business for Ratan Pal Gautam, a vendor. "This CD has songs on Behenji and is for Rs30. This one is for Rs50 because it's special and has songs dedicated to Behenji on her birthday," said Gautam as he showed the list of singers on the CD - Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher and Tavel Ali to name a few.
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