Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cancels rally in Delhi, Modi to address four today

New Delhi On a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cancelled his scheduled election rally in West Delhi, BJP prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will address four rallies in the nation capital on Saturday.

Modi’s first rally will be in East Delhi at 11am. He will then move to rallies in Northeast & South Delhi before wrapping up at Chandni Chowk this evening.

The Congress dismissed BJP’s taunt that the Prime Minister’s rally was cancelled as it was on the defensive following huge turnouts in rallies of Modi. “First of all it was not Congress, which cancelled the rally but the Prime Minister’s Office. Congress workers were very excited about the Prime Minister’s proposed rally and they are a bit disappointed and hurt after the cancellation. But this is also true that the Prime Minister has his engagements,” AICC general secretary in-charge for Delhi Shakeel Ahmed said.

“Congress had sought time of Singh from the PMO. We were waiting for three days and then yesterday, we were informed that the Prime Minister won’t be able to make it as Japanese emperor Akihito and his wife empress Michiko will be arrive here on a six-day visit on November 30. They are coming here at the invitation of the Prime Minister and hence he would be busy that day,” he said.

BJP had said that Congress deciding to cancel the rally of the Prime Minister shows that the party is on the backfoot as Modi’s rallies are witnessing huge turnouts.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had stated yesterday that the PM’s rally was cancelled as Singh has a “tight schedule”.

To a question about Dikshit’s remarks, which was interpreted as her not ruling out the possibility of a post-poll alliance with Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party if Congress fell short of majority, Ahmed said that Dikshit has already clarified what she said and there is “no question of alliance” as AAP will “not win any seat”.

“When Kejriwal’s party is not going to win even one seat, whom will we ally with. Congress will form a government in Delhi with full majority,” Ahmed said.