‘Flop show, chairs empty’: BJP mocks Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA bloc rally against CEC at Ramlila Maidan

The Bharatiya Janata Party took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s earlier claim that 10 lakh people would attend the INDIA bloc’s rally at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday, and claimed that 40% of the venue was vacant.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra addressed a press conference in Delhi and shared visuals from the rally to claim that nearly half of the venue was empty.

Patra said other top Congress leaders like KC Venugopal and Pawan Khera had also claimed that 10 lakh people would participate in the rally against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and alleged irregularities in the voter roll revision.

“You can see in the background that 40 per cent of Ramlila Maidan, 40 per cent of the space, was vacant. Rahul Gandhi and his team claimed that 10 lakh people would attend. Out of 28,000 chairs, around 5,000–7,000 were empty between 3.30 pm and 4 pm. This is the reality behind Congress’s claim of 10 lakh attendees,” Patra said following the INDIA bloc’s rally.

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The BJP claimed in posts shared on social media that Rahul Gandhi was addressing a gathering with “empty chairs” and said the Congress had failed to fill the Ramlila Maidan to its stated capacity of 50,000.

BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari claimed that people were leaving the venue while Gandhi was speaking and shared a video showing empty chairs and people leaving from the ground.

“Rahul Gandhi speaking and People leaving from Ramleela Ground! Flop show!" he wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Opposition leaders hailed the rally as a success. Congress MP and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi described it as “very successful”.

“This was a very successful rally. The BJP is frustrated by seeing the large numbers. CEC Gyanesh Kumar will have to resign,” Singhvi said.

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The INDIA bloc organised the rally as part of its campaign against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have accused the poll panel of irregularities and are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The Election Commission has rejected allegations of political bias and defended the electoral-roll revision process.

Rahul Gandhi said at the rally that the Opposition would continue to defend the Constitution. “We will not let the Constitution be destroyed. Whoever you are, however powerful you may be, you are not bigger than the Constitution. The Constitution is bigger than you,” he said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told the crowd that the INDIA bloc would continue its campaign until CEC Gyanesh Kumar leaves office. Opposition leaders Tejashwi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav and other Opposition leaders also addressed the rally.