BJP price rally: Gadkari’s first show of strength

The BJP has planned a massive 'demonstration',followed by a Parliament gherao plan on anti-price rise plank on Wednesday.

The BJP has planned a massive demonstration,followed by a Parliament gherao plan on anti-price rise plank here on Wednesday. Nitin Gadkari,who has made power point presentations on rising prices across the country in the last few weeks,hopes to showcase this show of strength as his first successful mobilisation programme after taking over as party president.

The entire BJP brass including L K Advani,Sushma Swaraj,Arun Jaitley,Rajnath Singh is likely to be present there. BJP Parliamentary Party spokesperson S S Ahluwalia said on Tuesday that all BJP chief ministers are expected to be present at the rally. The partys entire contingent in Parliament would also be there.

Every office bearer has been assigned specific states to mobilise crowds,with large states like Uttar Pradesh being divided into three regions and being looked after by different leaders. General secretary Ananth Kumar is coordinating the all-round efforts. Ahluwalia claimed that 17 trains,besides buses,have been pressed into service to get people to the Capital for the rally.

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Party MPs have been asked to look after the stay of the people coming from their respective regions. The rally would be held in Delhis Ramlila grounds,from where a few thousand will march up to Parliament Street,said party leaders.

In all his speeches,Gadkari has stressed on forward trading being one major factor contributing to price rise. He has often called for antyodaya being the new guiding force for the party. Concepts like right to food,and Chhattisgarh and Karnataka being the states to have undertaken huge steps forward in this regard are likely to find a mention at the rally.

The party will highlight the rotting foodgrains in FCI warehouses across the country,and reiterate a demand for a JPC probe into the issue. Gadkari had asked a team led by former party president,Rajnath Singh,to visit FCI warehouses in Haryana last week.

A section in the BJP has asked questions over Gadkaris apparent reluctance to hold Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar directly responsible for price rise. The party president has,however,argued that besides Pawar,the Union Cabinet and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should be held accountable for price rise. Ahluwalia said 10,000 rallies had already been held all over the country on the issue so far.