Hundreds and thousands of people holding aloft the red flags today virtually clogged the city’s main roads and streets leading to Brigade Parade Ground to attend a Left Front rally, that aims to end the BJP and Trinamool Congress government at the centre and state respectively in 2019 parliament elections. Traffic at the main two railway stations – Sealdah and Howrah – was almost at snail pace as the people from the neighbouing districts arriving on trains and began to march to the meeting venue.
The Left Front Brigade rally, the first of its kind in more than three years after 2015 was being called to intensify the movement to oust the Narendra Modi led NDA government at the centre and the Mamata Banerjee headed West Bengal government in 2019 Parliament polls.
Left Front organsiers claimed that over 3 lakh people are expected to attend the Brigade rally where CPI(M) top leaders and their left allies are expected to address the meeting. West Bengal former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattachrya, who is now ailing, is expected to attend the rally briefly, according to CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb.
He said Mr Bhattacharya has been keen on attending the rally, at least for a brief period.
Mr Deb said they have been taking advices of the medics to take care of the ailing former chief minster in the rally.
CPI(M) top leader Sitaram Yechury, Left Front chairman Biman Bose, Md Salim, Sujan Chakrbarborty have already arrived at the venue.