The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : At 65, he still remains a political dynamo

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Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

At 65, he still remains a political dynamo

Venkitesh Ramakrishnan

Lucknow/Eastern U.P.

April 10, 2004. It's only 6.30 a.m., but 5, Vikramaditya Marg, Lucknow is a beehive of activity. The master of the house, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and president of the Samajwadi Party, is out on his morning walk in the sprawling compound. As he does so often, Mr. Yadav has invited a companion to join him for the walk and talk politics and governance. This morning, the invitee happens to be this correspondent.

At 65, one would expect the Chief Minister to opt for a leisurely stroll. No such luck. The former amateur wrestler is full of verve and it is difficult to keep pace with him. Mr. Yadav smiles condescendingly and slows down. "Roz kasrat karna hai. Sehat ke liye achha hai. (Exercise regularly. It is good for health)." The advice is not doled out perfunctorily. It carries the weight of one who practises what he preaches. "Mukhyamantriji has an intensive session of physical activity — jogging, walking or exercise — at least three days in a week," says Shiv Kumar, the U.P. police officer who has served in Mr. Yadav's Z plus security ring for a decade.

Seasoned observers of the "Mulayam phenomenon" say that this raw physical energy is indeed a vital factor in the SP leader's success. "He never tires and goes on and on while those around him succumb to exhaustion," says Jagjeevan, Mr. Yadav's personal office manager since the early 1980s.

The rest of the day, as this correspondent watches him at work and on the campaign trail, bears this out. By 8 a.m. Mr. Yadav is at work. Call after telephone call is made to party workers and bureaucrats across the State. The SP leader is unhappy with the party's campaign in a couple of constituencies in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Tough instructions fly over the phone to candidates and key workers to buck up. The Chief Minister is concerned about the irregular power supply in the districts of Bahraich and Sultanpur. "Set things in order immediately. I want a positive feedback before evening," he tells a couple of officers.

In between, Akilesh Yadav, Mr. Yadav's son and the SP's MP from Kannauj, who is seeking re-election, comes in followed by the party general secretary, Amar Singh. It's time for a closed-door meeting, in which Mr. Yadav will discuss the campaign and fine-tune the strategy for the next 24 to 48 hours.

By 10, "Nethaaji" is ready to hit the campaign trail. Climbing into the helicopter of a private airline company, he asks Mr. Kumar about the venue of the first meeting. "Dhankata in Khalilabad," he is told.

Approximately half an hour later the chopper hovers over Dhankata. Mr. Yadav must have seen thousands of public meetings, but he is still excited when he sees a good crowd. "Bahut badi sabha hai (it's a big gathering)," he says, looking out of the helicopter's window. The crowd goes into rapturous slogan shouting and clapping as Mr. Yadav steps out and is led to the podium.

There are no welcome speeches or other formalities. Mr. Yadav straightaway launches into his campaign theme.

"The BJP is talking about shining India and feeling good. Where is this shine? Are you feeling good? They have made everything dear to the common man dearer — kerosene, gas, petrol, electricity. They claim to have reduced the prices of computers, air conditioners and cars. How many of you have a computer? Or for that matter an air conditioner," he asks the out and out rural audience, which seems to have walked into the meeting directly from the nearby agricultural fields.

The BSP also comes in for pointed attacks. "We all thought that the Dalits are poor, destitute people. Have you ever seen a Dalit having a wealth of Rs. 11 crores," he asks, in an obvious reference to BSP leader Mayawati's declaration of assets in her nomination papers. "Can anybody make this kind of money with out corruption?" The point is rammed home.

There is virtually no mention of the Congress or of the failure of negotiations between the two parties. "The Congress is not a serious contender in U.P.," is the sole reference to the party in the 30-minute speech. Mr. Yadav winds up with an appeal. "You have given me a lot of respect, made me Chief Minister thrice, put me in the Defence Minister's seat in Delhi. Now, I have only one wish; to give back the same respect to you. Bless the SP with 60 seats including this one and I can fulfil that wish. Remember, we are in the era of coalition politics and a powerful SP in the Lok Sabha can bring great benefits to U.P. and the oppressed backward castes, minorities and Dalits."

It is not stated in so many words but the implications are not lost on the crowd. "Our respect as a people will go up if Nethaaji becomes Prime Minister," point out several members of the predominantly backward caste and Muslim crowd talking to this correspondent.

Mr. Yadav continues his barnstorming across four more constituencies in eastern Uttar Pradesh — Domariaganj, Gonda, Gorakhpur and Balrampur — where again he is warmly received. He sticks to the same campaign theme, with minor variations depending on the constituency.

The barnstorming is over by 6 p.m. Back in Lucknow, Mr. Yadav takes a quick shower and resumes his discussions with associates in the party and bureaucrats. His day comes to a close around 11 p.m., but Mr. Jagjeevan is already busy preparing for the next day.

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