BJP’s candidate from Amritsar parliamentary constituency Arun Jaitley’s road to success meanders through the streets of the holy city.
With elections just about three days away, the BJP heavyweight seems to have made the city streets his second home. Alternating between an open vehicle and walking, there is no road less travelled for him. Follow him and you realise 12 hours on the road is the minimum for him.His arrival at BJP’s election office Chadha House on lawrence Road in Amritsar is announced much before he comes.
Unending queues of cars and SUVs with BJP flags fluttering in the morning breeze, and men in white marching up and down the streets withlittle patience, is enough to assure you that you have hit the right place.Clad in a long light blue khadi kurta, Jaitley is right there in the crowd. It’s just 8.45 am, but he is already meeting people, and more people. Shaking hands with them; exchanging pleasantries, flashing smile, bending down to seek the blessings of the aged, putting arms around the young brigade, all this and much more comes naturally to him.
After the initial meetings, he is ready to leave for his road show at Nag Kalan village in Majitha, just about 15 km away from the main city. One look at Jaitley’s body language is enough to reveal that NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s Friday rally in Amritsar has done him good.The confidence of a winner, the grin which comes with the surety of the future, the beam that grows bigger and bigger, and refuses to be washed away by the exhaustion of a day spent travelling, spent meeting people, spent listening to their tales, coupled with the gleam in the eyes, all tell you that he is ready to triumph over his rivals.
As he moves around, enthusiast villagers can be seen dotting the roads, waiting for him. All through, they are cheering and raising slogans of zindabad. Congress party’s last election slogan, Jai ho too seems to have been hijacked by them.Excitement is writ large on their faces. And the ear-to-ear smile playing on the lips of the youngsters, the aged, men and women, even small kids, makes it evident that Jaitley has hit the right cord with the people of Amritsar.
Waving his hands from an open Jeep, Jaitley does not hesitate in mingling with the crowd. He gets downs to meet people, greeting them with folded hands, and also assuring that all their worries will be sorted out after the formation of new Government at the Centre after May 16.Hitting the road towards the outskirts of the main Amritsar city, Jaitley addresses the ex-servicemen along with former Army Chief Gen VK Singh. To gather a little energy for the events that follow, he sips lassi.
lauding the contribution of army personnel, he points out that with more and more people from defence background are coming into politics, and their experience will be useful for making significant decisions for the community.Rajya Sabha MP, lashing out at the UPA Government, says that one-rank-one-pension scheme, Congress is claiming to have been implemented, is yet to be notified, and NDA would surely implement it as soon as it comes to power”.
As Gen VK Singh is taking on the Congress for not coming up with any structure like India Gate as a tribute to the war soldiers and assuring the NDA will build one, Jaitley decided to leave early, moving on to his next destination.As the simmering heat did not discourage him, he started another roadshow for the day. One of the biggest, and among the old areas, Hall Bazaar was all prepared to welcome him.Starting from the Hall Gate, his cavalcade passed through narrow lanes with shops on both sides zipping across the length and breadth of the area.
Over an hour-long road show made him a bit exhausted. To save himself from the heat, he has covered his head with a hand towel. Notwithstanding, Jaitley energetically waved his hand to the crowd as the dhol beats rejuvenated the bylanes of the Hall Bazaar with the party workers showering rose petals on him leaving a fragrant trail of roses.
To prepare himself for the rest of the day, Jaitley takes a break for lunch at Chadha House.Catching up with him at that time, Jaitley shares his view on his fight with the Patiala royal. “He acts like maharaja, and campaigning like one. He has not raised a single issue about Amritsar. All he chants is Majithia, Jaitley, Badal,” says Jaitley.He maintains Modi has set the tone for the election in Punjab by holding five back-to-back rallies in Punjab.Modi hinted in his rally about the bigger role for Jaitley when the NDA comes to power.
He could well be the country’s Finance Minister in the next Government, this is what the Badals are telling the voters of the city. But a formidable rival in Capt Amarinder Singh of the Congress has ensured that Jaitley is confined to Amritsar for the entire duration of the campaign period.