Numbers come from Delhi's slums

NEW DELHI: Congress put up its first show of solidarity in Delhi after the scathing defeat in Lok Sabha polls at Talkatora Indoor Stadium on Thursday. Party workers claimed that not only was the stadium full, but there were a large number of people waiting outside to hear the leadership speak. However, the number game to bolster the party's image was not without chinks in the armour.
The crowd comprised people brought in buses from slums who were clueless about the party or the Nehruvian ideology. Some came for a pack of food, others hoped for some money to compensate for a day of work lost and for some it was an outing with a bus ride to and from the venue.
Due to the meet, roads leading to the stadium were choked. Posters and banners on the road and the roundabout leading to the venue reflected the change in the party's leadership. While some had Sheila Dikshit's photographs below Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, most others bore the face of DPCC chief Arvinder Singh.