The writer Sandip Roy argues, "Why calling Sonia’s rally massive won’t make it a massive success ?"
He reasons emphatically," There is something in a name. Narendra Modi holds a Hunkar Rally. But Sonia Gandhi holds something called a “Massive Rally”. At least that’s what it says on the Delhi Pradesh Congress’ printed invitation cards to Sonia Gandhi’s big rally in Shashtri Park in east Delhi on Sunday. Sonia Gandhi at her Massive Rally in New Delhi. PTI It clearly reflects the Congress’ size-anxiety. Rahul Gandhi’s Delhi rally made the Congress jittery. So for Sonia, they put the rally’s main objective front and square in its very title. Elections are not won as a result of rallies. But Sonia Gandhi probably should not play size games with Narendra Modi. The 15,000 or so packed into the dusty grounds at Shashtri Park in a sort of orange-green-and-white holding pen cannot hope to match the visual spectacle of the swarming crowds at the humongous Japanese Park in Delhi’s Rohini neighbourhood for Narendra Modi’s maiden rally in Delhi in September."
The writer elaborates,"The BJP claimed between 3 to 5 lakhs showed up for that rally though others put the number at closer to 2 lakh. The BJP rally was all about projecting a larger-than-life Modi – the 100 foot cutout of the man looming over the crowds, the giant projection screens on either side of the stage, the deafening conch shell chorus to greet him."
He compares," By comparison the Congress rally feels tame, rather wanna-be. The stage looks like a box. The announcer pleads with security to allow more people in to hear Sonia as she gets ready to speak. Before Madam arrives the crowd is fed tidbits about her progress just as the Modi crowd was fed a steady dose about his movements. Bahut jaldi Sonia Gandhi paunchnewali hain. Sonia-ji has left her home. Sonia-ji is at the Yamuna bridge. The progress of Sonia Gandhi generates obedient applause but doesn’t exactly set the crowd on fire.
However that does not mean there is any lack of curiosity about seeing Sonia herself. A young boy in his early teens queueing up to enter the grounds with his friends says he is coming because he’s never seen Sonia. “I won’t go without seeing her,” he says with a grin. A group of women sits on the grass outside the venue. They live in an apartment complex nearby and have come to the rally to see Sonia but were too late to get in. So they sit outside and listen to what they can while watching boys play cricket amidst the parked television vans."
INDIA HONEST agrees with the often quoted joke that Indian election rally are either paid picnic of villagers to a bigger place or obligatory duty compliance by the party workers .