New Delhi: Ramlila Maidan is turning into a sea of Tricolours, tents and barricades before INDIA bloc’s rally on Nov 1. Workers are racing to finish work as Thursday’s rain has left the ground waterlogged.
Amit, a worker from Noida who is involved in the preparations, said his team had been working at the venue for the past 15 days. More than 50 workers were at the venue in the morning despite the rain, he added.
“The work is progressing, and we have to complete everything by Oct 31 night,” he said.
Yadav, who has been running a tea and snacks shop outside Ramlila Maidan for the last eight years, said political rallies and public gatherings generally bring more customers to the area. We are just hoping that, unlike the protests in Connaught Place, the shops will not have to remain closed,” he said. The rally is part of the Opposition’s campaign against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The Congress and INDIA bloc parties are demanding answers from chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on voter deletions. For shopkeepers outside the venue, the rally brings the possibility of a busy day of business, though there is also some apprehension about restrictions around the gathering. “Whenever a rally or any other event takes place here, it helps our business.