New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS): Team Anna members staged a protest at the Ramlila ground here Tuesday but the crowds no way matched the tens of thousands who thronged it when Anna Hazare fasted in August.

Anna confidants Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan sat in solidarity with Hazare's three-day hunger strike in Mumbai.

Holding tricolours and banners, protesters at the ground raised slogans demanding a strong Lokpal bill while watching the live footage of Hazare's protest in Mumbai on large screens.

Organisers blamed the weather and Hazare's absence for the poor crowd response.

"These two factors definitely affected the protest... We still anticipate more people to join," an India Against Corruption (IAC) activist said.

A police officer put the number of people at the ground at around 1,000. In August the Ramlila ground was packed with thousands when Hazare fasted. On a Sunday, an estimated 100,000 people had thronged the venue.