Officially, the rally is being organized to celebrate the populist Union Budget of Mr Chidambaram, but with a focus on the Rs 60,000-crore farm loan waiver, its intentions are clear — to send a message to the distressed farming community, that forms a massive vote base, that the UPA, and particularly the Congress, cares for them.

Significantly, party officials have made it amply clear that this and all the subsequent such rallies across the country in the next two months will be purely Congress shows, thereby sending the message to the people that whatever goodies they have got in the budget are thanks only to the Sonia Gandhi-led party — whatever its allies like NCP or RJD might claim.

The Delhi rally will see the congregation of nearly three lakh farmers from nearby areas, particularly party-ruled Haryana, with state leader S S Surjewala, who is also the chairman of AICC’s kisan, khet mazdoor wing, tasked with the mobilization of the numbers.

That the Congress is adamant to corner all credit for the populist budget was apparent even before it was announced in Parliament, with party leaders and delegations making enough noise demanding relief packages for farmers, thereby sending signals such a package was in the offing.

Discover India
The Delhi rally will be followed by similar rallies all across the country, with the next rally likely to be held in Mumbai, party sources said. Incidentally, the rally season would coincide with Rahul Gandhi’s “Discover India” tour, which party leaders say would complement the effort to take the Congress message to the people vigorously.

On Monday, all PCC presidents and CLP leaders have been asked to congregate at AICC to meet their respective general secretaries, followed by a joint meeting in the evening with the party leadership.