'There was heat': Suspended Congress district chief explains 'empty seats' at Kharge's rally
NEW DELHI: As the run up to the Bihar polls heats up, Manoj Kumar Pandey the now-suspended Congress Buxar district chief blamed "soaring temperatures" for "inaction" at party president Mallikarjun Kharge's Buxar rally. Pandey who was suspended on Monday, said that the turnout was decent but the extreme weather forced many attendees to seek shade.
'There was a lot of crowd at the District Congress Committee office, we also have a video,' Pandey said. 'Kharge ji was very happy, he even received us at the airport and was in a cheerful mood. His speech went on for 50 minutes and covered important historical points. But there was no fan arrangement in the back rows and it was 42 degrees. People naturally moved towards the trees on the sides for shelter, so some chairs looked empty.'
Pandey maintained there was 'no confusion' over the event's organisation and reiterated that the heat was the primary factor behind the sparse appearance. 'The crowd you're talking about was in the back. With the sun beating down and no fans, they moved away. It was the weather, not the planning.'
The Congress party on Monday had announced Pandey's suspension, citing poor coordination and failure to mobilise local support ahead of the 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' rally. State Congress media cell chairman Rajesh Rathod confirmed the decision, accusing Pandey of 'inaction' and 'irregularities' in executing responsibilities.
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Eyewitnesses at the Dalsagar Football Ground located roughly 10km from Buxar town described a different picture, with more than 90% of chairs reportedly left unoccupied as Kharge addressed the crowd. Eyewitnesses said Congress MLA Sanjay Kumar Tiwary was seen urging people to fill the chairs, but the appeal was largely ignored.
Party insiders told ANI that the turnout was embarrassing for senior leadership, especially as Kharge used the occasion to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi over unfulfilled promises to Bihar and the misuse of central agencies against Congress leaders.
When asked about his suspension, Pandey said only, 'It was the party's decision and the party's decision is supreme.'
The Congress is currently gearing up for a high-stakes battle in Bihar, with assembly elections due later this year.
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