Modi’s political opponents circulate video of low turnout in his rallies, what’s the truth?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kicked off a high-octane election campaign in Gujarat by addressing back to back rallies in Bhuj, Saurashtra and Surat.

Modi targetted Congress for mocking his chaiwala past and even invoked Gujarati pride while seeking votes for BJP candidates in the next month’s assembly elections. His detractors were quick to mock him for dumping the famous Gujarat model by not talking about development. This was in the context of his all-out efforts to sell the Gujarat Model during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Many of his political opponents, particularly from Congress also posted videos of empty venues in Modi’s rallies thereby implying that his charisma had faded in what has been a BJP bastion for 22 years.

Salman Nizami of Congress posted the following videos.

See urself. Empty chairs & hardly any crowd at Modi's rally in Gujarat...! pic.twitter.com/qk0ZNqdJz6

— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) November 27, 2017

Modi's self defeat is at grand display when he's campaigning in Gujarat. Gone are his theatrics. In timid voice he's begging to ppl. Chairs empty. Bhakts gone. This was long due! pic.twitter.com/0cQK79XWIc

— Salman Nizami (@SalmanNizami_) November 27, 2017

Some BJP leaders said that there was no truth in the claims made by Congress supporters on social media. They alleged the Congress supporters had juxtaposed the video of empty rally venues with the audio of Modi’s speech.

BJP’s candidate Bharat Boghara said that Modi drew 50,000 plus crowd at his rally in Jasdan. But the Congress candidate from Jasdan, the place Modi addressed one of his rallies on Monday, told NDTV that there was no truth in Boghara’s claims adding that only 6,000 people turned up to hear the prime minister.-JKR