In power or out of power, the scramble for chairs does not stop for the JD(S) Well, that’s precisely what unfolded again for the party ahead of its public meeting to be held at the Palace Grounds in the city on Monday when party workers literally went in search of chairs.
The meeting, which has been organised to mark JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s son and former chief minister Kumaraswamy’s coronation as the party’s state president, is expected to witness a large turnout of party supporters from different parts of the state. The meeting also marks the beginning of the campaign for the by-polls to eight assembly constituencies in the state and the Lok Sabha. “We expect more than three lakh people to converge on the Palace Grounds, but the problem is ensuring seating for all as there is a shortage of chairs,” a senior JD(S) leader told reporters.
The JD(S) head-honchos has instructed the party workers at the grassroot level in the city and the outskirts to source more chairs for the meeting, which is touted to reflect the growing popularity of the JD(S). The non-availability of chairs for the massive rally comes as an irony for the JD(S) which has been criticised by many when it was in power for giving a chance to its loyalists who were eyeing the chairperson’s post in the government corporations and boards. Even though the previous governments run by Congress and BJP appointed candidates for the apex posts at various corporations and boards, the JD(S) had deferred its decision to make appointments to these bodies. But on Sunday, the lack of chairs for its massive rally at Palace grounds miffed the senior leaders.
Speaking to journalists, party MLC and spokesperson Y S V Datta said the rally is going to be the largest ever in the political history of the state. “The length of the entire pandal measures one kilometre and we have taken four grounds for the rally unlike the past where just one ground was used. Though we are expecting a crowd of more than three lakh, we could arrange only two lakh chairs. Had we got more chairs, we could have arranged for more,” Datta explained.
Spread across four different grounds, the formal function will be held at the Palace ground while the adjacent Gayatri Vihar ground, Mango Market ground and Amanulla Khan Storehouse ground will host dining facility as well as parking facility for the party supporters. “Since the pandal is one kilometer long, not many can actually see the stage. So for their sake, we are setting up 200 CCTVs at different locations. Breakfast facility has been arranged at entry points on the outskirts of the city at different locations,” Datta added.
