Fadnavis downsizes Cong’s ‘maha’ rally, calls it ‘micro’

Fadnavis, who hails from Nagpur, spoke to the media in Mumbai after the Congress rally. Expressing his views, Fadnavis said, “The Congress had boasted it was going to be a mammoth rally. But after seeing the public response, it can be easily said it turned out to be a micro rally.”

🕠 5.42pm | 28-12-2023 📍 Mumbai | संध्या. ५.४२ वा. | २८-१२-२०२३ 📍 मुंबई.

LIVE | Media interaction.#Maharashtra #Mumbai
(Deferred Live) https://t.co/yM4ewr0Jh6

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) December 28, 2023

“From the public turnout it was evident they were not interested to listen to Rahul Gandhi. Even those who had come to the rally in small numbers seemed uninterested and started walking out when Rahul Gandhi was speaking.” “At the rally, Congress had raised the slogan ‘hain tayyar hum’ (we are ready). Now, the question is ready for what…” Fadnavis said. If we look from the people’s point of view, it was clear they (the people) have given their answer – ‘hum tayyar nahi’ ( we are not ready) to support Congress, he said.

The Congress rally at Nagpur marked the 139th foundation of the party. The party not only declared its readiness to battle against BJPs tyranny, but also claimed it would dislodge the Modi government at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi equating Modi’s tyranny to the kings of olden days who ruled like dictators, Fadnavis said, “Rahul Gandhi’s comments on kings was highly objectionable. In olden days there were kings who waged many valiant battles against Mughals and Britishers in different eras. There are glorious tales about the role of kings and its administration. Therefore, to dismiss all kings as tyrant or equating it with rivals was condemnable.”

The state’s BJP leaders dismissed the Congress’s optimism as an illusion. As Fadnavis pointed, “The people have already made up their mind. They had reposted their faith in Modi’s leadership in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. In 2024 Lok Sabha polls people will for the third time elect Modi as the country’s prime minister with greater mandate.”

“The BJP believes the Congress which has taken the lead to fight BJP is neither confident nor able to keep its own alliance partners in the INDIA bloc together. According to Fadnavis, “The INDIA front is an arrangement where each party is striving for political survival. And there are political parties that want to promote its own family interests.”

The state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, ” Every party has the right to hold public rallies. The poor response to the Congress rally in Nagpur itself shows where it stands. The BJP is working tirelessly to maximise its outreach to people.” “Beyond elections we have the larger objective to bring each and every individual in developmental bracket. We will not rest till then.” “As far as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls are concerned the people will give the mandate to Modi who has worked for their empowerment.”

The BJP leader Praveen Darekar also took a dig at Congress rally saying it was a “no show”. They exposed their limitations and failure as people stayed away from the rally.