The Telugu Desam Party gave a huge build-up for the first-ever public meeting of the National Democratic Alliance at Chilakaluripet in Palnadu district on Sunday.
For the last two days, the TDP media team has been bombarding the media with curtain raisers, songs and other publicity material.
The TDP also brought several national media reporters and channels from New Delhi, since it was the first rally of the TDP, BJP and Jana Sena Parties and a first meeting of Modi after the announcement of election schedule.
So far so good, but the organisers have miserably failed to ensure proper care and crowd management at the public rally. They managed to mobilise huge crowds, but failed to make them proper seating or standing arrangements at the meeting.
Of course, the police people, too, have not taken enough care in the crowd control despite the fact that it was the meeting of the Prime Minister. The reasons for the same are there for anybody’s guess.
When Modi came on to the dais, he straightaway walked to his seat, instead of raising hands along with Naidu and Pawan to express solidarity with them. Of course, prior to the arrival on the stage, Naidu and Pawan had shaken hands with Modi and welcome him.
But on the stage, though the anchor was saying the TDP leaders would felicitate him, nothing of that sort has happened.
Even when the anchor announced that Pawan Kalyan would present a bouquet to Modi, he did not do it. Only Daggubati Purandeshwari presented a memo to him, as a saving grace.
Many times, the microphones failed as the crowds virtually fell on the speaker control system, disrupting the speeches.
It happened during Pawan Kalyan’s speech and later, several times when Modi was speaking. Finally, after repeated requests, the police managed to disperse the crowds closer to the control systems.
At one stage, Modi had to get up from his seat and stop Pawan Kalyan from speaking when he noticed frenzied crowds climbing up the tower meant for erection of flood lights.
The Prime Minister took to mike and make an appeal to the people not to climb up the tower as they might get electrocuted.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but your lives are precious. If something happens, we all feel bad about it,” he said. He asked the police to take steps to control the crowds and bring them down the tower.
