Rahul's Punjab virtual rally: Cong claims 900,000 people joined in 2 hours

Soon after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's day-long visit to Punjab culminated on Thursday where he addressed a virtual rally 'Navi Soch Nava Punjab', the party claimed that as many as 9 lakh (900,000) people connected within two hours on various platforms to join the rally.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on a one-day visit to Punjab on Thursday during which he visited religious places along with 117 candidates in an apparent show of strength ahead of Assembly elections that are due next month.

With both Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu eyeing the top job, Rahul Gandhi said that the chief ministerial face would be decided by the party workers soon as he admitted that "two people cannot lead (the state), only one can"

With the curtains closing on the virtual rally on Thursday, the Congress party has claimed the completion of one of the most successful digital rallies in the modern era.

Addressing a virtual rally in Jalandhar, Rahul Gandhi said, "We have had a talk in the car that who will lead Punjab going forward. Media people call this the CM candidate. Both Channiji and Sidhuji told me that this is the most crucial question in front of Punjab that who will lead the Congress."

"See, two people can't lead. Only one will lead. Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and State Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu assured me that whoever becomes the CM face, the other person will support him. I was listening to them. I was happy. We will ask Congress workers to decide Punjab Chief Ministerial candidate," Rahul Gandhi added.

Speaking to ANI, Rohan Gupta, Social Media Head of AICC said, "More than 4,00,000 people watched on social media with 30,000 comments, 9,000 shares and over 9 lakh people reach within only two hours of the rally making it most successful hybrid virtual rally of the country."

"The grand virtual rally, set-up after arduous efforts by the various departments of the Congress party in complete cohesion, saw a fool-proof system created at the rally venue at Jalandhar where Rahul Gandhi, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC President Navjot Singh Sidhu and other Congress leaders addressed the public- both physically & digitally," he added.

Talking about the arrangements of the virtual rally, Gupta said that the arrangements were made in all the 117 Assembly constituencies where people listened to the Congress leader adhering to the COVID protocols.

"The digital relay from the Jalandhar venue was connected through LEDs across all 117 assembly constituencies and 22 district headquarters of Punjab where upto 300 people gathered at each location following the strictest Covid19 protocols," he said.

Notably, this is the first visit of Rahul Gandhi since the imposition of a ban on physical rallies by the Election Commission of India at the start of the month.

Punjab will go to the assembly polls on February 20. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.