What happens in typical Gujarat Congress rally?

Full audience in the beginning, but lost audience at the end

By Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad, 25 December 2011

These two photographs presented above are interesting. Both were taken in same public meeting. They were taken on Sunday in Gujarat Congress’s Ahmedabad district Other Backward Class(OBC) rally. While upper picture was taken from the stage when the public meeting kicked off, the connecting picture below was taken from the backside of the venue, when the last speaker of this rally was speaking.

While in upper picture you can see all chairs occupied, in lower picture you can see most of the chairs are empty.

This is because, in any Gujarat Congress function, too many speakers speak, and when the last leader(who is the most important in hierarchy) stands up to speak, most of the people are either disappeared or inattentive.

Kitne leaders hai? Aur stage?

In today’s Gujarat Congress’s Ahmedabad district OBC function held near Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram, there were three stages. Yes, three stages to accommodate all leaders! On the central stage there were all important leaders, while other two stages were full of those who were unknown to common public at large.

Kyunki har ek neta zaroori hota hain

As per the tradition, union ministers should be called to speak, so Bharatsinh Solanki and Tushar Chaudhary were called on mike. As per the tradition All India Congress Committee(AICC) office bearers should be called to speak, so Madhusudan Mistry, Sagar Raika and Pravin Rashtrapal were also called. As per the tradition former Chief Minister and former Deputy Chief Minister should be called to speak, so Narhari Amin and Shankersinh Vaghela were called. Similarly Shaktisinh Gohil spoke as the leader of opposition, Shri Mohan Prakash who was the last person to speak had to be called to speak because he is party high-command. Chief whip of Rajasthan Congress was called because he was guest person from other state. City Congress President was called to speak because this programme was going on in Ahmedabad. Arjun Modhwadia would definitely speak as Gujarat Congress President.

So in any Gujarat Congress public meeting, a series of speeches goes on, like a train. The last person to speak is either the high command or the state President. And while his speech should be considered as the most important, what happens is that on the contrary, when he stands up, he finds the energy missing among the audience.

Roko roko!!Congress ni sabhaa chhe, Bapu ni nahi!!

But the last speaker faces other problem too. Take an example of today’s OBC meet.It was noticed that when Shankersinh finished his speech, dozens of people stood up and started leaving the venue. The next orator was Shri Modhwadia, and while starting his speech Shri Modhwadia could see many people leaving the venue.

Rail gaddi of names

Then the Gujarat Congress leaders must learn how to value time of the people. Today when city Congress President Pankaj Shah stood up to speak(and he was first) in the rally, he started his speech by speaking a long list of names of the leaders present there. Same thing happened in other couple of speeches, after which announcer had to request the leaders to cut short a long list of names of the leaders, and start the speech straight away. However most of the leaders, due to their habit continued to address the names of all the leaders before starting their speech.

And how it sounds?

So typically in such convention of Gujarat Congress, the orator would start his speech like this(as per today’s example): Mananiya Gujarat pradesh Congress Pramukh Shri Arjun Modhwadia, mananiya Gujarat prabhari Shri Mohan Prakashji, vidhansabhama virodh paksh na neta Shri Shaktisinh Gohil, purva mukhyamantri Shri Shankersinhji Vaghela bapu, AICC mahamantri Shri Madhusudan mistry, AICC Secretary Shri Pravin Rashtrapal, AICC secretary Shri Sagar Rayka, kendriya Railway rajya mantri Shri Bharatsinh Solanki, kendriya marg rajya mantri Shri Tushar Chaudhary, shaher pramukh shri Pankaj Shah, purva nayab mukhyamantri Shri Narhari Amin……couple of other names and then the speech would start.

Something good though

It is good however, that not many leaders spoke longer in response to announcer’s request to do so. In today’s rally, generally all Congress leaders concluded their speeches in few minutes. But even then, the total duration of all speeches come-together was over 1.30 minutes, and generally public can attentively listen to someone for around 20-40 minutes.

How it happens in BJP

Now compare all this to a typical Gujarat BJP rally. State BJP President RC Faldu would be a token speaker because he is state President of the party. Narendra Modi will be a star speaker, whose word are carefully chosen because he is the Chief Minister, and Purushottam Rupala would speak as a national Vice President of BJP. Rupala is important because he can say all that Modi as a Chief Minister can not say in his speech. Hardly one or two leader more perhaps in some rally, and the rally will complete.

Too much democratic

So you have too many banners at the entrance of the public meeting with photographs of known and unknown local Congress leaders, you have too many stages and too many people sitting over them, you have too many office bearers in your state level organization, and you have too many orators in a public meeting ……So Congress party seems more democratic, and it is good, but it is bit more democratic then needed. Ask Narhari Amin(picture below) who was sleeping on the stage, or ask those who were leaving the venue before last bunch of speeches actually began. Ahead of the election year, Gujarat Congress should take this piece of writing positively and think on it.