Rahul Gandhi, Kharge among top INDIA leaders to join AAP's 'maha rally'

Top INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav will attend AAP's 'maha rally' to be held in New Delhi, on 31 March, senior party leader Gopal Rai said on Friday.

AAP has received permission of the authorities concerned for holding the rally, being held in the backdrop of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's arrest, at the Ramleela ground on Sunday for an attendance of more than 20,000 people, he said.

The call on whether Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal will address the 'Maharally' will be taken later, he said.

Other prominent political leaders and members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) like Derek O'Brian, Trichi Siva, Farooq Abdullah and Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren will also attend the rally, he said.

Kalpana Soren, the wife of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is currently in jail, will also attend the rally, he said.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the ED as the Narendra Modi government wants to weaken the Opposition.

Speaking to PTI, he also exuded confidence the Congress will win at least 15 of the 29 Lok Sabha seats in MP, where polling will take place in four phases between 19 April and 13 May.

"Kejriwal's arrest is an attempt to weaken the Opposition and wipe out the democratic system in the country. While Kejriwal was arrested, they have spared others who joined hands with the BJP. Of the 154 persons against whom there were ED and CBI probes, 121 joined the BJP and investigation stopped. But propaganda against opposition leaders (on such probes) continues," he said.