Hyderabad, Aug 11 (IANS): Thousands of people turned up at the L.B. Stadium to hear Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday.

The stadium, in the heart of the city, was filled to its capacity by 2 p.m, two hours before Modi reached the venue.

The gates were shut by the organizers and police, who had a tough time in controlling the surging crowds.

Those who could not be accommodated in the stadium were advised to gather in the nearby Nizam College Grounds where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put up LED screens to beam the public meeting live.

BJP leaders said a total of 120,000 people registered themselves for the meeting. The stadium has a capacity of 70,000.

The party collected a token amount of Rs.5 from each participant. They money will go towards relief in flood-hit Uttarakhand.

Huge crowds from various parts of twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and neighboring districts started gathering since morning to hear Modi, seen by many as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in the next election.