Ahead of the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s BJP bhagao, Desh bachao (oust BJP, save country) rally scheduled to be held on Sunday, Patna has turned green with party flags, banners, posters, hoardings and huge welcome arches. Hundred of thousands of party workers and district- level leaders have already trooped into the city . The district administration has made elaborate arrangement for the proposed mega rally at the iconic Gandhi Maidan here.
The huge billboards and posters depicting the RJD leader and his son and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav as Bahubali have been put up at prominent thoroughfares and intersections on the roads leading to the rally ground.
In other hoardings and banners, other members of Mr. Prasad’s family have been projected as deities and historical figures. In one poster, Mr. Prasad’s eldest daughter and party’s Rajya Sabha member, Misa Bharti, is shown as legendary warrior queen Rani Lakshmi Bai. In others, Tej PratapYadav is shown as Lord Krishna and his brother Tejashwi as Arjun. From a corner their parents Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi are seen blessing them.
Other posters take a dig at Prime Minster Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah and others for the “demonetisation scam”.
The Gandhi Maidan has been decked up with huge green marquees and platforms. Massive welcome arches with the names of veteran socialist leaders such as Karpoori Thakur have been put up at the gates. The venue has two stages — one for the visiting leaders from other parties and the other for the RJD’s 80 MLAs.
Hosting the cadre
All 80 RJD MLAs and other party leaders have made elaborate arrangements to host party cadre and workers. Huge tents have been erected on the lawns of MLAs’ residences and cooks have been hired to feed them. Rebel JD(U) leaders and Rajya Sabha members Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar have arrived in Patna to participate in the RJD rally. The RJD has also released a list of 21 leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former U.P. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and C.P. Joshi, CPI leaders Sudhakar Reddy and D. Raja, participating in the rally.
Members of the State’s ruling coalition, the JD(U) and the BJP, have taken a dig at the RJD for organising a rally “when the State is facing flood fury”.
“It’s the height of insensitivity of RJD chief Lalu Prasad to call a rally when entire north Bihar is reeling under severe flood,” senior State BJP leader and Minister Nand Kishore Yadav said.
The district administration has made security arrangements. “Over 20 CCTV cameras have been installed in and around the rally venue and 4,000 police personnel have been deployed,” Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj said.
