The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : POLL-POURRI

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Wednesday, May 05, 2004

National

National - Elections 2004

POLL-POURRI

The opium question

Opium is not exactly the religion of the masses in Rajasthan, but in the Lok Sabha constituencies in the western parts of the State, it is part of the people's lifestyle. Opium is offered as manuhar (hospitality) to visitors in many households in the Thar desert area and at least some of the campaigners in the current elections find it literally too difficult to swallow. For those new to the customs and practices of Rajasthan, like Bangaru Laxman, former president of the BJP, whose wife Sushila Laxman is the BJP candidate from Jalore, opium, grown in some parts of the State, proved a testing commodity. This is the third time that Mr. Laxman is in Jalore campaigning — the first time for himself in 1999 and the second time during the recent Assembly elections in the State — but still he feels uneasy about the practice of people offering him amal (opium) when he approaches them for votes. He had no option but to grin and bear it. Mr. Laxman, trying to make a political comeback through his wife well knows that declining the opium offered is like refusing to smoke the chillum of peace, especially when one is trying to identify with the community and seek its support. "It is after all only a speck of opium. I take it when they offer it," he says matter of factly.

Sons and fathers

Sons are seeking votes for their fathers in the Bikaner Lok Sabha constituency of Rajasthan. The star sons, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, have descended on the town to join the election campaign of their father and BJP candidate, Dharmendra. Both the Bollywood stars have addressed a number of election meetings and urged the people to ensure "Papa's victory."

While Sunny says that his father is a patriot and has joined politics to serve the people, Bobby greets the people with "Ram Ram Sa" in typical Rajasthani dialect; he says that his father had earlier won their hearts by his acting and would now win them over by working for the development of the region.

Coincidence?

An unhappy coincidence. Both the present and the former Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh are undergoing spinal treatment at the same time. While the present Chief Minister, Raman Singh, underwent surgery at Delhi's Apollo Hospital over the weekend for acute cervical spondilitis, his predecessor, Ajit Jogi, is recuperating in a Mumbai hospital after a spinal injury following a serious accident while campaigning in the Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency last month.

Dr. Singh was to stay put in the Capital and campaign for the BJP after polling in Chhattisgarh was over in the first phase. However, Dr. Singh's spondylitis worsened, forcing him to undergo surgery. He will be in hospital for a couple of days and then on bed rest for another 10 days. By the time he is back in action, the results would have been declared.

— Sunny Sebastian, Mohammed Iqbal, Aarti Dhar

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