Sept 27, 1999

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BAD FORM
BJP goofs up to the Congress' delight

The going for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is proving tough -- except in Sultanpur. It was more than just a windfall for the party when Satyadev Singh, the BJP candidate from the constituency, failed to submit Form B -- the authorisation letter for allotment of the party symbol -- on time. Under the Representation of People's Act, the candidate is required to submit Form B along with the signature of one voter from the constituency. In the absence of the form, however, signatures of 10 voters are necessary. With no Form B and just one signature, Singh's papers were bound to be rejected. So much for the two-time MP's boast of a "sure victory" in a constituency that the Congress had considered its weakest. A constituency for which the party could decide on a suitable candidate, Deepa Kaul, only at the eleventh hour.

-Subhash Mishra

Party's Serviceman Delhi: There were some titters in the BJP headquarters last week over a gentleman by the name Vijay Vir appearing on Doordarshan as the party's representative for the poll broadcasts. Nobody at 11 Ashoka Road had a clue to who he was. To make matters worse, he was clearly uncomfortable in front of the TV cameras, often peering at the teleprompter as if he was looking at a ghost. The mystery was however soon solved. Vir is a former group captain and a member of the BJP's ex-servicemen's cell and a party senior thought it prudent to field an ex-officer in the aftermath of Kargil. Predictable, isn't it?

-Saba Naqvi Bhaumik

Bogus Debate Chennai: "AIADMK cadres don't know how to cast bogus votes." No prizes for guessing who said that. Puratchi Thalaivi J. Jayalalitha, of course, who last week accused the ruling DMK of indulging in bogus voting. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, always quick on a repartee, dismissed her remark as "anticipatory explanation of her impending defeat", adding, "We don't know about the cadres, but some of their leaders don't even know how to vote." The reference was to AIADMK MP S. Mutthiah, who had sought forgiveness from the iron lady for voting wrongly during the confidence vote in April.

-K.M. Thomas

Trivial Pursuit
The exit polls haven't destroyed the Congress' whacky self-image. Overheard at the AICC office: "If we get below 140, she's history. If it's 150 she becomes geography. And if we cross 180, she's pasta."

Average term in office of PMs
Between 1952-77: 100 months
Between 1977-89: 38 months
Between 1989-96: 26 months
Between 1996-99: 9 months

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
"Vote for Congress if you want to save the country unnecessary poll expenditure." Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia in Etah

"Stability does not flow from dynastic ambitions but seasoned leadership." BJP spokesman Krishan Lal Sharma in Delhi

RABRI'S STAYING POWER
Bihar CM fights for right of way
For more than two years, the trappings of office have had little effect on Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi who went about her work like a typical housewife. But the dirt and grime of a gruelling election campaign finally began to tell on her. Last week she arrived at Patna airport shortly before sundown and seemed to be in a rush to get back home.

However, as she approached her official car, an officer of the Special Protection Group, which looks after the prime minister's security, moved towards her and asked her not to leave the airport premises. "The prime minister is arriving and all the roads have been sealed," he politely told the chief minister. The lady flew into a rage. "Agar woh pradhan mantri hain to hum bhi mukhya mantri hain. Woh to jaldi hi is pad se hatne ja rahe hain, par humme yahan lambe samay tak rehna hai (If he is the prime minister, I am the chief minister. He is going to lose his job soon but I am going to be here for long)." Wonder what hubby Laloo, who is waiting for exoneration from the courts to resume office, will have to say to that.

-Sanjay Kumar Jha

THE JOKE SOURS
E.K. Nayanar's reputation for horsing around has never been under question. Voting day in Kannur was no different. After stamping the ballot paper, the Kerala chief minister didn't just stuff it into the ballot box, he held it aloft for the benefit of photographers. "This is for our Abdullahkutty," he said, displaying his customary ear-to-ear grin. But the joke soon turned sour as the opposition Congress promptly petitioned the EC, charging Nayanar with violating poll-conduct rules.

-M.G. Radhakrishnan

FEW TALL ONES
Congress misses stalwarts
It has been a very unusual election for the Congress. For the first time perhaps, the party has been unable to field leaders with mass appeal. Sonia Gandhi remains the only known face, with Rahul and Priyanka in tow. Among the handful of its crowd-pullers, Rajesh Pilot and Madhavrao Scindia are pinned down in their home states, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where Congress hopes are high. The affable Sunil Dutt is fighting his own battle in Mumbai. Rajesh Khanna is prone to tantrums -- like no chopper, no campaign. Manmohan Singh brings in the crowds but is comfortable only in urban India. Of the old family faithfuls, N.D. Tewari, who has not won an election in eons, is making one last attempt, P.V. Narasimha Rao couldn't care less, Arjun Singh has himself not won. And without his purse-strings clout, nobody bothers about Sitaram Kesri. After Sonia who?

-Javed M. Ansari

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