Gearing up for massive show of strength the Bharatiya Janata Party is upbeat for its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally in eerut on Sunday, which the leaders claim would be a full sell out.
"This would be the biggest rally in this series. People from whole of western Uttar Pradesh and parts of Bundelkhand are expected to attend this rally. Mind you, people are coming of their own. They are not hired crowd as seen in rallies of other parties," BJP’ s state president Dr laxmi Kant Bajpai told The Pioneer on telephone from Meerut, where he is camping for the last two days.
The onus to ensure a record gathering lies on the head of Bajpai, who is a local legislator. This would be seventh of the series of Modi’s rallies in Uttar Pradesh. The last six rallies were very successful with people pouring from the nooks and the corner of the state to listen to Modi. These successful rallies have catapulted BJP from "nmber chaar ki party" in Uttar Pradesh to "number ek ki party". And Meerut wants to make the momentum going before the maha rally to be held in lucknow on March 2.
All prominent leaders of the party - from Delhi to lucknow - are expected to take part in the rally. This rally will be bit different. The organizers have constructed two stages against three built in other six rallies. In one of the stage legislators and local leaders will sit while from the main dias Modi will address the gathering. The main stage would be decorated with local handicraft items. Sugarcane which is main crop of the area would also find its place in the stage.
"The crowd is bound to be good because party workers have used traditional methods to invite people. Yellow rice is being sent to the block and village units. Invitation letters have been sent and hoardings are being are been set up at main city crossing declaring about Modi’s rally," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.
He said that main focus of the rally is to ensure participation of members from each village panchayat in the rally. Party wants maximum participation from each panchayat, tehsil and block in this rally.
Meanhile, party is using all means of communication to spread the message across the city. After opening a number of tea stalls in the name of Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party has set up "Modi juice stalls" ahead of the rally on March 2.
"Some of the stalls have already been set-up and serving free juice to the people," BJP state unit general secretary and in-charge of the Meerut rally, Dev Singh, said. He said that the farmers, who are unhappy with the policies of the state government, are also distributing sugarcane juice at these stalls for free.
Farmers' leader Satyendra Badala was the first on to make his contribution to the juice stall, which are expected to rise in numbers.
