New Delhi:
In a massive public relations exercise today, the ruling Congress is expected to front its top guns to explain to the people the need for reform measures like allowing foreign direct investment in retail and also counter the many allegations of corruption that party leaders and senior ministers face. About 100,000 people are expected to gather at Delhi's Ram Lila Maidan to hear likely speeches from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and even Rahul Gandhi, who is widely expected to formally take over any day now as the number 2 in the Congress and play the "bigger role" that he has promised to.
The Congress will also use the mega rally to list its achievements. It is being held weeks before the Winter Session of Parliament begins and will sound the bugle for the Congress' fight to retain power in 2014. It is also expected to set the party's agenda for an internal brainstorming session planned next weekend, where the party will review the implementation of its manifesto. Chief Ministers of all Congress-ruled states will attend today's rally as will grassroots leaders from states.
(Track live updates)The Ramlila ground has already started filling up, with partymen from several neighbouring states bringing in busloads of people to ensure a big show of strength. The ground is dotted with the Congress worker's trademark white Gandhi cap. There are also bright turbans in colours like pink in patches that indicate that a local leader has arrived with his flock. Minister Of State Shashi Tharoor tweeted a picture of the crowd from the venue, saying, "Mammoth crowd at Congress Mega Rally at RamLila Maidan. The Party fights back!"
There are many Congress flags and the banners and posters tell a story: There are many posters of Sonia Gandhi, quite a few of Manmohan Singh, but it is the 42-year-old Rahul Gandhi's face that dominates.
Big screens have been put up so that people standing far from the stage too can see and hear their leaders speak. The rally will be a big test for the Delhi Police and some 10,000 policemen and 700-800 traffic personnel have been deployed in and around the area. A traffic advisory has been issued so that Dehiites know what routes to avoid on a Sunday bang in the middle of the festive season.
(Read: Roads to avoid in Delhi today)
Congress spokesman PC Chacko said yesterday, "At the rally we are going to tell the country about our decision on FDI as well as other issues. We are also not happy with the price rise of essential commodities and in the rally we will explain the country about this."
The BJP has dismissed the Congress' image-building exercise, picking on it once again for allowing FDI in multi-brand retail. "First Congress did rally for the nation and now they are rallying to get American companies to come here and open shop, and strategising to get the public support on FDI," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
But rhetoric apart, the main opposition party will be watching as keenly as the rest to see whether the much-anticipated Rahul Gandhi announcement is made from the Ram Lila ground stage. Many within the Congress expect Mr Gandhi, 42, to be conferred with the title of either Secretary General or less likely, Working President. Mr Gandhi is currently one of the party's several General Secretaries, whose role is to take charge of states and other functions for the party. As Secretary General, he would be their boss, formally.
Whatever the designation, Mr Gandhi will be number 2 in the party after his mother who is president. In that role he is expected to lead the Congress to the 2014 general elections. Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi said earlier this week, "Gandhi is number-2 in the party. His place is after the Congress President. It is not a hidden fact. There is no ambiguity about it. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that he (Rahul) is the future leader. There is no shying away from it."
Last weekend, Mr Gandhi had turned down another request to join government, which had led the PM to say that he was "deeply disappointed." But the Rahul Gandhi imprint was unmistakable in the reshuffle and he reportedly held many meetings with both, the PM and the Congress president, in the run-up to that exercise.
Senior party leaders have had little hesitation in going public with the general belief in the Congress that Mr Gandhi is a future Prime Minister of India and shall take that post as early as in 2014 if the Congress retains power. Some ministers had suggested that Dr Singh would step aside if Mr Gandhi wanted to take over in this term, a possibility dismissed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.