Tens of thousands attend Bengal’s mega anti-BJP rally

Kolkata, Jan 19 (IANS) Tens of thousands of enthusiastic workers and supporters, including a man on a wheelchair, attended the mega anti-BJP rally at the historic Brigade Parade ground here on Saturday raising their voices against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the venue almost an hour before the scheduled time while party leaders, MPs MLAs took their seats on the side stage.

Amidst elaborate security arrangements, the enthusiastic participants gathered waving giants flags. People were seen donning party symbols on hats and clothes.

Most of their sloganeering were centred around Modi, BJP National President Amit Shah and about the party's rule "finishing" in 2019.

Kamaludddin Khan came on a wheelchair came with a placard greeting the TMC chief and wished that she keeps moving ahead indirectly sharing his desire to see Banerjee as the next Prime Minister.

Finally, their wait was over as the rally, which is expected to kick-start the Opposition's campaign ahead of the upcoming general election, got going.

"We want to hear didi," Atish Chandra Bagdi, an avid supporter of the Trinamool supremo from Murshidabad district said. He painted himself in his party's colours.

Some people like Amzad Hossain from Coochbehar district donning dresses printed with the party's symbol, had arrived in the city on Friday.

"Let us take the pledge of building a progressive, strong and United India" read the backdrop of the main stage, where a number of Trinamool flags fluttered.