By IANS
Bangalore : India’s IT hub has been swamped with Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) blue flags, banners, buntings and hundreds of cut-outs of party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to welcome her to Bangalore for the party’s rally Sunday.
The BSP’s success in mobilizing huge financial and human resources for the rally has taken many by surprise as it does not have much of a presence in Karnataka, party’s state unit chief B. Gopal said.
“Other parties will get a shock after Sunday’s rally. We have sold 10 million coupons for Rs.1 each to meet the expenses of the rally,” Gopal told IANS.
“We are spending Rs.2 million for the pandal, dais and other requirements for the rally at the Palace Grounds,” he added.
The palace is about five kilometres form the city centre and is the political parties’ favoured venue for rallies.
“Publicity expenses will come to around Rs.1 million and an equal amount will be spent on food for the party workers who have already started assembling in the city from various parts of the state,” Gopal said.
The party expects more than 400,000 people to attend the rally.
“From Bangalore city alone we expect 100,000 people and from Bangalore rural district and nearby districts such as Kolar another 100,000. From Mysore and other areas within 150 km from Bangalore, we expect 150,000 and from far away places in north Karnataka another 100,000,” Gopal said.
Like in Uttar Pradesh, the party is wooing people from all caste groups in Karnataka.
“Brahmana Samudaya (an organization of upper caste Brahmins) has made arrangements to serve food for several thousands of our workers and supporters,” he said.
“We have already received 100 quintals of food grain, six quintals of vegetables as donation and expect another six quintals of vegetables to reach us by Saturday evening,” Gopal said.
The BSP did not win a single seat in the 2004 assembly elections though it contested all the 224 seats, but it managed to eat into the vote share of the Congress in several constituencies.
The party plans to field its nominees in all constituencies in the next polls expected in April/May 2008.
Satish Chandra Mishra, who is credited with rallying Brahmin votes in Uttar Pradesh for Mayawati in the recent assembly election, will accompany her for the Bangalore rally, Gopal said.