The traffic on the major roads of the city was thrown out of gear on Saturday due to the Congress’s march to the CM house programme. The incessant rains further compounded the ordeal of the commuters. The traffic flow came to a near standstill along several stretches of the city as the Congress activists and the slum dwellers came out on the roads in their hundreds. The congestion was acute on the busy Rajpur Road and New Cant Road. However, the school children were spared the ordeal as the DM had ordered the closure of the schools on the day in view of the heavy rain warning. The traffic personnel and the police had a tough time to normalise traffic on the roads.