Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha campaign rally at Wardha, Maharashtra on Monday, April 1 has reportedly witnessed a very low turnout. As visible in the pictures shared on social media, the rally ground is mostly empty, with crowds scattered at places.
Per a video report on News18 Lokmat, around half the chairs at the rally remained empty.
Journalist Amey Tirodkar posted the pictures and taking a jibe at the low turn out tweeted that this much crowd can be seen in sugar mill elections campaign programs too.
एवढी गर्दी तर साखर कारखान्याच्या निवडणुकांत पण होते !! pic.twitter.com/zsHVReIkvp
— Amey Tirodkar (@ameytirodkar) April 1, 2019
Per a tweet by journalist Abhisar Sharma quoting Tirodkar, this constituency has most voters from ‘Teli’ community, same as the party candidate fielded from the constituency. “The cold response to first rally in Vidarbha demonstrates the crisis BJP is facing in the elections,” Sharma wrote.
मोदीजी की वर्धा रैली फ्लॉप। @ameytirodkar लिखते हैं : ये वो सीट है जहां सबसे ज्यादा तेली वोटर हैं । प्रत्याशी भी इसी समुदाय से हैं । ये संकट का इशारा है । विदर्भ की पहली रैली ठंडी । pic.twitter.com/o5EsWPRggj
— Abhisar Sharma (@abhisar_sharma) April 1, 2019
Taking a dig at the PM’s inability to gather crowd, another person tweeted, “Borivali station has a bigger crowd than this past 11 in the night!”
बोरीवली स्टेशन के पास रात ग्यारह बजे तक इससे ज्यादा भीड़ रहती है https://t.co/4gWftfpCV0
— Vibhav Joshi (@vi_vibhavjoshi) April 1, 2019
Also Read: Modi Namumkin Hai: Rows of Empty Chairs at Modi’s Meerut Rally
https://twitter.com/AudaciousQuest_/status/1112629422350200833
BTW, this Photo while Modi Ji was addressing the Rally – Even People were leaving while he was screaming. pic.twitter.com/fOglY9Uk0I
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) April 1, 2019
PM Modi addressed the first Loksabha rally in Maharashtra at Wardha. Ground of 25000 ppl capacity was half empty !
Maharashtra is known to be the land of Shivaji-Shahu Maharaj- Phule-Ambedkar and it clearly indicates that dis-acceptance to RSS extremist ideology. pic.twitter.com/WrkN4ulrz6
— Vaibhav Kokat (@ivaibhavk) April 1, 2019
The poor response may be reflective of the discontent among citizens given the highest rate of unemployment in 45-years under this regime, rising prices and digression from issues of substance. Especially in relation to Vidarbha, a region plagued by a severe draught and rural distress, the low turnout may also indicate the voters’ disillusionment with the Narendra Modi government which has been criticised for it’s anti-farmer policies.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Amit Shah’s rallies also saw a low turnout, with rows and rows of empty chairs visible in pictures shared by social media users. Modi’s Meerut rally last week was also met with a similar cold response.