On a windswept Sunday afternoon, the opposition raised the election heat with prominent leaders from all INDIA bloc parties sharing the stage at the iconic Ramlila ground in Delhi. 

In the front row on the dais at the ‘Loktantra Bachao Maharally’, two chairs were left empty, for Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand’s former CM Hemant Soren. And one after another, opposition leaders spoke in solidarity with the two jailed leaders, and about what they saw as an attack on the Constitution, the throttling of their parties’ resources, “false” cases and “extortion” through electoral bonds.

Over one dozen leaders spoke as hundreds of thousands of supporters of AAP, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena (Uddhav), NCP, J&K National Conference, PDP, and others cheered. Most of the supporters, however, had come from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi.

The rally, organised by AAP, culminated with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s five demands of the alliance. The Election Commission of India should ensure a level-playing field and stop the alleged misuse of the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Income Tax against opposition parties, she said. Soren and Kejriwal must be released; attempts to allegedly financially constrict the opposition must be stopped; and a Supreme Court-monitored investigation must look into “extortion” through electoral bonds by the BJP, she said.

Beyond political leaders, the rally’s highlight was the presence of Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Arvind Kejriwal, and Kalpana Soren, wife of Heman Soren. Kejriwal was arrested in connection with the Delhi liquor case by ED on March 21, and Soren on January 21 in an alleged land scam case by the same agency.

In total, 21 leaders from 15 parties delivered speeches. Four of these, including Arvinder Singh Lovely, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka and Mallikarjun Kharge, were from the Congress.

Sonia Gandhi, who arrived around two hours after the programme began, sat next to Sunita and did not deliver any speech. AAP’s Saurabh Bhardwaj, who moderated the event with help of Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain, expressed gratitude over Sonia’s presence as “she rarely attends events”.

Inflation to liquor policy allegations 

In the audience were a woman who was struggling to run her house due to inflation, a battery shop owner from Tamil Nadu fearing the end of democracy and a salesman who questioned the ED’s allegations against Kejriwal.

Anju Sheawat, 55, arrived at the maidan with 100 other women from her neighbourhood in Sonipat. “We have come here because we like (Congress MP) Deepender Singh Hooda,” she said.

She was concerned about inflation. “Gas cylinder price has gone up from Rs 500 to Rs 900. How are we supposed to run the house? The private school fee is Rs 2,000 a month. It’s hard for us even though my husband and I work,” said Anju, whose husband is employed in a wood cutting unit while she works as a labourer in a factory.

Her friend Krishna, meanwhile, claimed that her application for a house under the PM Awas Yojana had been rejected several times. 

Sivagnanam, wearing only a loincloth, waved a Congress flag after he arrived at the venue from Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district. “There is no democracy left. Leaders are being put in jail for no reason,” said the 60-year-old who had shut his battery shop for four days to participate in the rally.

On the liquor policy case, Sachin Ambedkar, a Delhi-based salesman in his 20s, wondered if the ED would arrest PM Modi on the basis of Kejriwal’s statement. While the ED is yet to establish a money trail, Kejriwal was reportedly arrested on the basis of the statements of the accused in the liquor case.

Punjab turns up early, attendance ‘restricted’ later

Movements originating from Ramlila Maidan have a history of throwing the governments out of power: from a rally led by Jayaprakash Narayan in 1975 to the anti-corruption protest in 2011.

On Sunday, all roads leading to the maidan were lined up with posters of Kejriwal behind bars and Congress leaders. Singer Ravinder Grewal belted out patriotic songs before speeches began.

AAP Punjab supporters, wearing ‘Main Bhi Kejriwal’ tshirts and caps, and holding party flags and placards, turned up first. Till 10 am, it was only AAP leaders from Punjab and Delhi in the VIP arena who fielded questions from the media.

AAP MP Sandeep Pathak told the media that the mega rally was organised by his party with contributions from other INDIA alliance partners. AAP had sent invitations to its alliance partners.

With Kejriwal behind bars, how tough is it for AAP to fight the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls starting from April 19?

“Sandeep (Pathak) ji is there. He has been handling the party’s organisation. We will see who will lead us into the elections,” AAP MLA from Punjab Gurlal Ghanaur told Newslaundry. Another party worker said the party can be guided by Kejriwal’s instructions from jail.

Congress leader Sandeep Dixit, who was among the first Congress leaders to arrive, was asked about the lack of his party supporters. “It’s not a competition about whose supporters are less or more,” he told the media.  

As the day wore on, leaders from other parties turned up. By noon, the stage was set with the ground packed to the rafters. In the audience were supporters holding a copy of the Constitution, impersonating as Lord Ram, and wearing belly chains and neck shackles. The crowd swelled.

At one point, Saurabh Bhardwaj had to ask the Delhi police to let more people enter the maidan. “If there is any senior police officer, I want to inform you that you have stopped the entry. Let people who are standing outside enter,” he said. It’s not clear if the Delhi police honoured the request.

While Congress’s communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh on Saturday clarified that the mega rally’s aim was to protect the Constitution and not an individual, most speakers condemned – among other things – the arrest of Kejriwal.

Camaraderie of the ‘ideologically different’

The INDIA alliance is unique. At least 28 parties, including the Congress and Left, are part of this bloc. But in Kerala, they are political rivals. In West Bengal, TMC and Congress have no alliance.

However, at the rally, Congress, TMC and Left parties warmed up to each other. TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose said the party was, is and will be part of the INDIA group.

The speakers at the rally included Arvinder Singh Lovely of Delhi Congress, All India Forward Block’s G Devarajan, Thol Thirumavalavan of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena UBT, Mebooba Mufti of PDP, Dipankar Bhattacharya of CPI (Marxist-Leninist), Sunita Kejriwal, Khorrum Anis Umar of Indian Union Muslim League, D Raja of CPI, Kalpana Soren, Tejashwi Yadav of RJD, TMC’s Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose, Tiruchi N Siva of DMK, Sitaram Yechury of CPI(Marxist), Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Sharad Pawar of NCP, Rahul Gandhi of Congress, Punjab CM and AAP leader Bhagwant Singh Mann, Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress, Jharkhand CM Champai Soren and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.  

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury sought freedom from corruption and unemployment. Harking back to the Emergency days, he said: “Around 47 years ago at this ground, a similar public meeting took place. The slogan was independence or slavery.”

In the audience, Silakram Malik, who came from Sonipat, believed only the alliance can defeat the BJP. “All are ideologically different and capitalist to some extent, but better than the BJP. They have to work together to defeat the BJP,” said the CPI(M)’s Sonipat secretary.

Kejriwal’s message from jail

All eyes were on Sunita and Kalpana. 

Sunita read a message Kejriwal had delivered for the rally. “I am not asking for votes. Nor do I ask you to make someone lose or win. Today, I want your help to make the country great,” she said, quoting Kejriwal.

Kejriwal promised six guarantees to 140 crore people of the country: round-the-clock electricity; free power; remarkable schools in every village and colony; mohalla clinic in every village and mohalla and multispecialty hospitals in every district; free healthcare; MSP for farmers; and full statehood from Delhi. 

She pointed out that a permission had not been sought from INDIA alliance leaders to make these promises as Kejriwal was in prison, and added that the AAP would fulfill these guarantees in the next five years.

Kalpana Soren said she represented the women population. “Who will take guarantee of their guarantees under which they (BJP) have destroyed our constitutional values?... This historic ‘sankalp sabha’ is being organised today against dictatorship. I thank everyone who has come here today, this will only strengthen the INDIA alliance,” she said.

A song, a ‘betrayal, and reference to BJP’s Meerut rally

Bihar’s leader of opposition and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav recalled how the BJP had failed to fulfill its promise of jobs and Rs 15 lakh. “They will stab your eyes, hand you spectacles and tell you that they have given you spectacles.”

Towards the end of his speech, he found solace in the Govinda-starrer song – tum to dhokebaaz ho (you are untrustworthy).

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, meanwhile, wondered why the BJP was sending opposition leaders to jail if it was confident of winning 400 seats. “You have sent an elected chief minister to jail. Not only in India, even the world is criticising it. The BJP claims to be the biggest political party but it is the biggest lying party in the universe,” he said.

In a reference to the BJP sounding the poll bugle with its rally in Meerut today, attended by PM Narendra Modi, Yadav said people of Delhi were out of the capital. “You can assume that now we are going to arrive in Delhi.”

Speaking after Yadav, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP could not win more than 180 seats in the Lok Sabha polls if it did not have support of the central investigating agencies and EVMs.

“The way cricket matches are fixed by various methods like appointing the umpires of choice, buying out the players and intimidating the captains, the same way Modi had appointed the Election Commissioners of his choice, was trying to pressurise the judiciary and had jailed two Chief Ministers Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal, just ahead of the elections,” he said.

Jharkhand CM Champai Soren, meanwhile, emphasised that his party would fight against the BJP-led Central government the way his tribal ancestors fought against dictators.

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, on the other hand, said the BJP was jailing only opposition leaders. “They (BJP-led central government) jail everyone. They have jailed those who made schools and hospitals, they have freezed Congress' bank accounts... What do they think of themselves? They have jailed Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren. Are you the owner of this house? No, the owners of this house are the 140 crore people of this country,” said the CM, who also played host at the rally.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who had left the venue shortly after his speech, was seen off by Mann.

Priyanka Gandhi turned to Lord Ram in her speech. “I want to tell those sitting in power, I want to remind PM Modi the message of Lord Ram: power does not last forever, power comes and goes; ego is shattered one day. This was the message of Lord Ram and his life.”

‘Workers energised’

But how would AAP navigate the Lok Sabha poll campaign when the party’s top leadership, including Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyender Jain, is behind the bars?

Ravinder Kaur Raji, a well-heeled supporter of AAP from Jalandhar, said the arrest will help the party as it may get sympathy votes. “The arrest has energised workers.”

When asked about the switch of AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku to the BJP, she said workers were still with the party. “If one person leaves, there will be 10 others queuing up for the entry,” she claimed.

Akshay, a tour operator in Delhi, said the arrest “will be more beneficial” for the party this time.

The impact, perhaps, will only be clear on June 4.