Gujarat elections: Parties battle it out over size of rallies
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Dec 04, 2017, 12.46 AM IST
AHMEDABAD: Come elections and parties battle with their rivals over whose leaders are attracting bigger crowds at their rallies, notwithstanding the fact that turnouts are determined by a host of factors and are not a foolproof measure of the outcome of a contest.
Senior BJP and Congress leaders have till now addressed rallies with less-than-impressive numbers with even the likes of PM Narendra Modi and Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi having got a better response in states like UP and Rajasthan in the past.
Both BJP and Congress have been using social media and their publicity teams to make the point that their opponents are addressing rallies with conspicuous number of empty chairs. Modi had addressed rallies on November 27 and 29, where in most of them the estimated attendance was much below 20,000. BJP members say he has had a much bigger audience in past elections. If crowd strength is taken as an indicator, then BJP is seeing a tough battle this time. BJP has created a cluster of six constituencies for each Modi rally and candidates have to gather the crowd for the rally.
Rahul Gandhi’s Navsarjan Yatra got a good response in several places but most of his rallies have had an unimpressive attendance. BJP supporters have been quick to post online videos of empty chairs. For senior leaders, their party arranges the crowd from neighbouring areas and they are brought to the venue in buses.
In contrast, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) chief Hardik Patel has attracted a strong crowd in Surat and many parts of Saurashtra. That some of these meetings did not have permission from district authorities did not matter to the crowd. However, BJP leaders insist it may be due to the novelty factor as PAAS is a new outfit.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath failed to draw crowds with his rallies last week attended by only a few hundred people. Some senior Congress leaders have shunned rallies and instead focussed on meeting small groups of people.
Senior BJP and Congress leaders have till now addressed rallies with less-than-impressive numbers with even the likes of PM Narendra Modi and Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi having got a better response in states like UP and Rajasthan in the past.
Both BJP and Congress have been using social media and their publicity teams to make the point that their opponents are addressing rallies with conspicuous number of empty chairs. Modi had addressed rallies on November 27 and 29, where in most of them the estimated attendance was much below 20,000. BJP members say he has had a much bigger audience in past elections. If crowd strength is taken as an indicator, then BJP is seeing a tough battle this time. BJP has created a cluster of six constituencies for each Modi rally and candidates have to gather the crowd for the rally.
Rahul Gandhi’s Navsarjan Yatra got a good response in several places but most of his rallies have had an unimpressive attendance. BJP supporters have been quick to post online videos of empty chairs. For senior leaders, their party arranges the crowd from neighbouring areas and they are brought to the venue in buses.
In contrast, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) chief Hardik Patel has attracted a strong crowd in Surat and many parts of Saurashtra. That some of these meetings did not have permission from district authorities did not matter to the crowd. However, BJP leaders insist it may be due to the novelty factor as PAAS is a new outfit.
Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath failed to draw crowds with his rallies last week attended by only a few hundred people. Some senior Congress leaders have shunned rallies and instead focussed on meeting small groups of people.
