For Sunday’s Swabhiman rally, people were taken in buses to Patna by leaders of the alliance parties from Saturday night itself. Large tents were pitched in at the official residences of leaders with live musical and cultural programmes to entertain rally goers. Lavish food and bed rolls too were provided.
On Sunday morning, groups of rally supporters, mostly from Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal, took to the roads of Patna with band, baaja and dance, leading to Gandhi Maidan, the rally venue. ‘Nautch’ girls too were seen entertaining the rally goers.
Around the rally venue, the ruling Janata Dal (United) had set up 80 counters for collection of DNA samples of people coming to the rally as part of its “Sabdhwapsi” (take back word) campaign. The counters manned by JD(U) workers were providing an envelope containing a plastic pouch for collection of hair and nail sample of willing supporters.
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Earlier in the day, Mr. Prasad had tweeted that “People of Bihar will tell BJP today that they are ‘tikau’ [durable] and not ‘bikau’ [for sale] ... There is good sanskar [culture] in our DNA.”
Mr. Prasad along with his wife, two sons and eldest daughter attended the rally.
The crowd cheered every time Mr. Prasad attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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His wife and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi too attracted attention of the cheering crowd when she criticised expelled RJD MP Pappu Yadav.
It was Mr. Prasad who stole the show as a large number of his supporters attended the Swabhiman rally.
“We’ve come on the call of our leader Laluji and we’ll follow whatever he will say today at the rally,” Sanjog Yadav from Vaishali district said at the rally venue.