Patna, Nov. 28: Mado Paswan, a 55-year-old woman, who had come all the way from Katihar to take part in Lok Janshakti Party’s 12th anniversary rally at the Gandhi Maidan in the capital today, was an unhappy woman. She complained that party activists, who had brought her and many others from the village for the rally, did not keep their promise of giving them cash and food for the trip.

“They (party workers) promised that our expenditure incurred towards the trip would be reimbursed. They had also promised us good meals. Here, we have to buy snacks to keep ourselves going,” she rued. Mado spent the entire afternoon sitting inside a makeshift tent meant for resting.

“I do not even feel like listening to politicians delivering speeches from the dais. Our lives are not going to change because of all this. We are poor and we will be only poorer after spending on this trip,” said Mado.

Party workers had not given any food to the rally participants. “Thousands of people gather in rallies like this, as they are more interested in good food and a fair-like atmosphere. Though puri-sabzi is being given to many, not everybody is getting that and they have to make their own arrangements,” said a party worker from Alauli.

“A few years ago, this was a common feature among political parties to pay people from far-off places to participate in the rallies. However, this trend is changed now. People spend their own money on travel now. LJP is anyway too cash-strapped to spend so much on all this,” the worker added.

The rally not only disappoint the participants, it also lacked pomp and show. A party activist from Daryapur, Patna said the district unit wanted to hire elephants for the rally but could not afford to.