The Janata Dal (Secular), which formalised an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party, sent a strong political signal on its mass appeal to its opponents on Saturday as it managed to attract a huge number of followers to its rally in Yelahanka on the city’s outskirts.
The rally, which the police said nearly eight lakh attended, had a huge number of followers even outside the venue much after the speeches of their leaders commenced. The police estimated that JD(S) and BSP followers came in as many as 2 lakh vehicles. Though people were seen thronging the venue since noon, the tempo increased around 3 p.m. following which traffic on international airport road slowed down for some time.
Biggest convention
The convention is believed to be the biggest organised in the State by the Janata Parivar in more than three decades since 1985, when a convention had been organised after bringing in landmark changes to the panchayat raj structure by the then government headed by Ramakrishna Hegde.
The star campaigner of the party and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also had to bear the brunt of the traffic as he had to get down from his vehicle and walk for a kilometre before getting onto a bus to arrive at the venue.
Mr. Kumaraswamy had claimed that Saturday’s convention would attract about 10 lakh party followers. He was welcomed by a boisterous crowd and it took him nearly half an hour to reach the dais.
