Star-studded rallies in poll-bound Delhi on Sunday

New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) It will be a battle for prestige
for parties Sunday when poll-bound Delhi will witness
star-studded election rallies organised by BJP's ally SAD,
Congress and BSP which are trying their best to ensure
impressive turnout.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will sound election bugle
from Mangolpuri in Outer Delhi while Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati will address a
rally in Trilokpuri in East Delhi.

Another mega rally on the anvil is of BJP's ally
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Prakash Singh Badal who will woo
Punjabi and Sikh voters in the city.

Onkar Singh Thapar, chairman of election campaign
committee of SAD rubbished idea that three rallies in a day
would affect the crowd turnout. "Our voters will rally behind
the SAD, there is no doubt about it. Bhartiya Janta Party will
come to power and our all for SAD candidates will win with
handsome margin," Thapar said.

The Congress is banking on leaders from unauthorised
colonies which is under threat this time from Mayawati's BSP.
The lower ranks of the Congress have been told that a crowd of
40-50,000 is a must for a show of strength.

"The stakes are high, with Mayawati-led BSP making things
tougher this assembly polls in Delhi. In fact strength of
crowd will be a litmus test for the political parties,
indicating the mood of the voter's mind ahead of November 29
assembly polls," a senior Congress leader said.

However, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Chief JP
Agarwal said the party is confident of rally's success as
"time-tested voters have always rallied behind the Grand
Old party."

"No doubt a larger crowd would boost the morale of the
cadres. But we don't have to worry, our traditional voters
will come to hear our high command irrespective of any other
rally," he added.

Criticising the BJP for spreading 'rumours' of BSP eating
into the Congress votebank, Agarwal said "we have done enough
for the welfare of people particularly poor and Dalits. So
where is the question of outsider Mayawati pulling away our
people?"

BSP supremo Mayawati has also asked party workers to
mobilise voters and ensure that they do not let the party
down on D-day.

Congress is heading for the most crucial assembly
election seeking a third term in the Capital while BJP is
attempting to unseat the incumbent government and make a
comeback after ten years.

However, it will be the BSP, which after having shown
impressive results in the municipal election, will play a
critical role in deciding the political fortune of the
national capital where the BJP and Congress have so far been
major players. PTI AJ
RKM