March 2, 1998

Hello, I'm Home Again

Narendra Modi fell casualty to the intense factionalism which gripped the BJP's Gujarat unit in 1995. Following Shankersinh Vaghela's revolt and the flight to Khajuraho, Modi became the rebels' public enemy No. 1. When a truce was negotiated, Modi was banished from the state. Now, many months and Vaghela's final departure from the party later, it's time for Modi's rehabilitation as the BJP's brand manager for Gujarat.

The local hero received a warm welcome at the Ahmedabad railway station recently amidst anti-"gaddar" (traitor, meaning Vaghela and his RJP) slogans. Modi -- revered as something of a Chanakya in these parts for his dexterity in formulating arcane caste equations -- immediately hopped onto a small plane and began his statewide campaign. From a backroom boy, he seems to be graduating to a more public profile.

--Uday Mahurkar

Two of a Kind

A clever little supporter of R.K. Dhawan decided to marry the twin addictions of politics and tobacco. Good idea, except that he forgot to print the usual warning about the stuff being "injurious to health".

Business as Unusual

Ever since Indira Gandhi and 1980, the price of onions has been fair game as an electoral issue. J. Jayalalitha certainly thinks so. "Are you able to afford your vegetables?" she's been asking crowds, "I'm sure you can't. The DMK Government has failed to control soaring prices of onions, tomatoes, turmeric." Even so, some suggest onions may be evoking only crocodile tears from the lady. Apparently, Jayalalitha's formed a company called DAK Exports -- dedicated to selling, among other items, onions. Earlier this year, she sent a legal notice to Tamil Nadu's vigilance authorities, stressing the firm's bona fides and refuting allegations of corruption.

Anyway, Jaya's detractors now argue that by joining the onion exporters' lobby, she's contributed to the domestic price rise. She may know her onions, they say, but she can't spot the conflict of interest.

--K.M. Thomas

Press into Battle

Politicians in Madhya Pradesh trust nobody these days, not even their own parties. Take the BJP's Sunderlal Patwa. He's engaged a journalist from Bhopal to survey his constituency of Chhindwara. In turn, the journalist has expanded the gainful moonlighting network to an army of mass-media students. The team spends its time collecting data and preparing swot analyses of Patwa's rivals. Apparently, Digvijay Singh had used similar methods in his brother's Rajgarh seat in 1996. Only, instead of providing journalists novel freelance opportunities, Digvijay had disguised party workers as newsmen. Weird.

--N.K. Singh

TALKING POINT: Where are the non-Nehru heirs?

Ajit Singh: Charan Singh's li'l one and Jatland's chief auction item has tied up with the Congress to recontest his Baghpat seat. With this he's now changed political loyalties eight times.

Meira Kumar: Ms Dalit with Attitude. Jagjivan Ram's daughter is the Congress' somewhat more quiet counter to Mayawati, nominee from Delhi's Karol Bagh.

K.C. Pant: Funnily, Govind Ballabh's son joined the BJP after the nominations. Many feel the ex-defence minister would have made a better rival to N.D. Tiwari in Nainital than his wife Ila.

Tushar Gandhi: Mahatma's grandson, now with Mulayam.

Sunil, Anil Shastri: Lal Bahadur's divided legacy: Anil remains in the Congress while elder brother Sunil's joined the BJP.

Prakash Ambedkar: Son of Babasaheb is now Congress ally.

© Living Media India Ltd