Ramlila Maidan, often called the birthplace of the AAP, is now preparing for a political turnaround with the new BJP government all set to take oath after a gap of 27 years.
Ending days-long speculations, the saffron party on Wednesday elected Rekha Gupta as the chief minister at the Legislature Party meeting. The swearing-in will take place on Thursday afternoon.
Ramlila Maidan is bustling with preparations for the grand event, with saffron flags hoisted atop each light-post. Massive red carpets reserve space for the ‘invitees’. Levelled-up stages can be seen set up for the prime minister and other Union ministers.
“Three separate stages are installed,” an official at Ramlila Maidan told THE WEEK. “Two for the prime minister, CM and other union ministers, and one for the religious saints.”
Chief ministers and MLAs from more than a dozen BJP-ruled states are expected to attend the event.
“Around 50,000 people, including BJP workers, Rural Works (RW) Department workers, and officials from various sectors have been invited,” BJP MP Yogender Chandolia said. The programme, “primarily focused on the oath itself”, is expected to last for 25 to 30 minutes.
Huge plasma screens erected on each side of the sitting area will ensure better visibility for the attendees. Thousands of chairs have been arranged for the VIPs and other invitees. The ground at the back is kept open for the common public. Portable male and female restrooms line-up along the boundary on one side. As soon as one enters the place, MCD tanks can be found parked—bulldozers busy shovelling and levelling the land. A media cell is arranged at Gate No. 2 for reporters and other media personnel.
CRPF units and the Delhi Police Force have been deployed to tighten security. The General Administration Department (GAD) officials are overseeing the security arrangements.
Ramlila Maidan—where Anna Hazare began his India Against Corruption rally in 2011—is often called the Aam Aadmi Party’s birthplace. The party which stormed to power in Delhi under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, a former aide of Hazare, ruled the national capital for two consecutive terms.
