The excitement is palpable in north Delhi's Rohini area where Narendra Modi is addressing his first public rallly after being named the party's prime ministerial candidate.
The rally is being held at a sprawling ground adjacent to the Japanese Park,.
"I stay away from political gatherings but I will be going tomorrow. I have heard Modi talking on television. He is such a good orator that I don't mind hearing him live," Manoj Vora, a resident of sector 13, said.
"Some BJP workers came on behalf of its senior Delhi leader Vijender Gupta and wrote down our names and charged us Rs.10. The money is for the reserved seats and some refreshments during the rally. The others probably will have to stand," Irshand Alam, who runs a barber shop in sector nine of Rohini, told IANS. The native of Bijnaur in Uttar Pradesh will go to Japanese Park with 10 of his friends and relatives.
"There is a Modi wave riding across the country and it is the main reason I am excited to hear him. Everyone around me seems to think that he can make the difference. I have also started to think that way," added Alam, who will be among the five thousand Muslims expected at the venue.
Mritunjay works at a petrol pump near the ground and has seen many politicians and godmen at the site including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, yoga guru Ramdev, and tainted godman Asaram Bapu. He feels the buzz is most this time around.
"I can't care less about who is coming. I just focus on my work. I won't be attending the rally but a sea of people should be here. The Modi hoardings can be seen everywhere in the area," he said.
Some, however, are worried about the possible chaos on the roads.
"I won't be there but I don't think I will leave for anywhere else on a Sunday morning. The traffic situation is likely to be bad. I better stay indoors," Rajat Bajaj, a businessman, told IANS referring to the 10 a.m start of the rally.
The sprawling rally ground is abuzz with activity from the last 10 days. Party workers, policemen and others involved are working overtime to ready the venue for Sunday.
Around 100-odd cars were parked inside the venue on a hot Friday afternoon as two college students were busy photographing each other against the backdrop of Modi posters stuck on the fencing.
"It is our job to manage the crowd no matter how big the politician is. We normally don't pay attention to what these leaders are saying at rallies. But as Modi is going to speak this time, I will be all ears for him. He has it in him to make India a better country" Jaisingh Nehra, a constable stationed outside the ground, told IANS.
Ten entry points have been made to guide the crowd smoothly to the venue. Arrangements are in place to ferry people to the site from the nearest Metro station - Rohini West.
A DDA official confirmed that the Japanese Park will be open as usual for the Rohini residents.
Around 20 LED screens will be mounted all over the park for people sitting far from the stage while over 100 would be installed in market places and at various places in the city for Delhi residents who won't be going to Rohini.
(Bharat Sharma can be contacted at bharat.s@ians.in)
