Those were the days when live beaming of political rallies was unheard off and supporters made it a point that they got up early and occupy a vantage point at the ground where they could see their favorite leader while he was speaking. In those days when Nehru's towering personality over shadowed all leaders...there was this rising right-wing leader who almost secretly admired Nehru for his parliamentary practices--even though ideologically, the two leaders were poles apart. Those were the days when Jan Sangh was still in its infancy (In the first general elections held in 1952 it managed only three Lok Sabha seats) but nevertheless huge crowds gathered to listen to this young Jan Sangh leader. The young man spoke almost flawless Hindi, kept his sentences short and crisp and often swirled his hands up in air as he spoke. Not a single soul left the ground till he had spoken the last word. That budding leader was none other than Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
But that was almost five decades ago. This is 2006: Vajpayee is the last speaker in BJP's huge parivartan rally organized in the Ambedkar grounds in Lucknow. He begins to speak and within minutes crowd beings to leave the ground. And, by the time Vajpayee reads the last para...the ground is virtually empty. In disdain Atal remarks: "Lagta hai badi thand hai...logon ko ghar jana hai.(it seems weather its getting cold people want to go home). Remember leaders can take on a blow from a cop, they will not mind public hurling choicest of abuses against them and they can even take an occasional sting operation by the media--- but any leader's biggest disappointment can be speaking to empty stands.
This is what Atal Bihari Vajpai the founder president of BJP and former prime minister of India must have felt when he saw people leaving the rally ground in this own constituency Lucknow.
Critics will have their own views. They may say Vajpayee's age it taking the better of him. They may argue that this is the end of the Vajpayee old magic. But clearly Vajpayee remains one of the finest speakers of his generations, despite his ill health in recent times.
But it is Vajpayee's failing memory...that could be one of the biggest worry for the party leaders. Just on the eve of his 82nd birthday Vajpayee gave clear indication that even as he is regarded as most respected leader in his party...he might not be physically fit to lead the party in the next Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2009.
Earlier during the day, during the concluding session of the party's national council meet every one including the media eagerly waited for Vajpayee to speak. Advani had just finished his long speech attacking mainly the UPA government and praising chief ministers and deputy chief minister of the BJP ruled states present in the meet. When Vajpayee's turn came one expected some Sonia bashing. But to every ones surprise that did not happen. Vajpai restricted his speech mainly to Uttar Pradesh and this constituency Lucknow although he did say that all "roads to Delhi pass through Lucknow" - A clear message that BJP should take UP elections very seriously.
Rajnath Singh moved restlessly on his seat and Advani could do nothing but smile when Atal started his speech by thanking Mulayam Singh Yadav for the 'warm hospitality' extended to the BJP leaders during the Lucknow national executive meet. But BJP leaders soon calmed down when Atal (after a brief customary pause) said "I express my serious concern about BJP workers getting killed in Uttar Pradesh."
The 2500 BJP national council workers who gathered from all parts of the country hoped Vajpayee would turn his focus on national issues. But that was not to be. Atal reminded his national council how polluted the Gomti river had become over the years.
"It is the same river where I immersed my mother's ashes," he said nostalgically. He even recalled how as a young student he came to Lucknow to take admission in the law faculty of the Lucknow University.
There were bursts of laughter when Vajpayee after congratulating Rajnath Singh for being elected as party's national president quipped: "I never got a chance to become BJP president." Rajnath Singh immediately reminded him that he was the first BJP president when the party was founded in 1980. To which Vajpayeeji promptly replied: "I was the first and the last!"
Even at this age Vajpayee has not lost his wit and humor; although his ambiguous statements (some say Vajpayee does that on purpose) often create ripples with every rank and file of the party.
But at the parivartan rally in Lucknow, where BJP was to kick off its election campaign -Vajpayee did what was least expected. Instead of criticizing Mulayam Singh Yadav Vajpayee took on the UPA government particularly Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He spoke at length on issues such as inflation and minority appeasement before the UP crowd. (Remember and it was supposed to be an election rally). Party's election campaign in Uttar Pradesh is mainly against Mulayam Singh Yadav's bad governance.
Whether it was deliberate on part of Vajpayee to take up local issues at the national council meet and leave the national issues for the election rally...only he can tell. But there was virtual panic among the BJP leaders (especially the Uttar Pradesh BJP unit which had put on days of hard work to organize rally in the Ambedkar rally maidan) when they see crowd leaving the rally ground as their top leader was speaking. Let me tell you that capacity of this rally ground is close to three lakh and most parties (except perhaps Mayawati) usually avoid organizing rallies in this huge ground.
By the time an SPG personnel helped Vajpayee take out his reading glasses from his pocket so that he could read out how many murders, rapes and kidnappings took place in Uttar Pradesh; almost 90 per cent of the crowd had left the rally ground.
A local party worker remarked: "It seems Atalji's speech got changed!"
first published:December 26, 2006, 19:48 ISTlast updated:December 26, 2006, 19:48 IST
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A strong supporter of the Sangh Parivar once told me. "If my biggest source of entertainment in the 50-60s was Shammi Kapoor films...my other hobby was attending political rallies."
Those were the days when live beaming of political rallies was unheard off and supporters made it a point that they got up early and occupy a vantage point at the ground where they could see their favorite leader while he was speaking. In those days when Nehru's towering personality over shadowed all leaders...there was this rising right-wing leader who almost secretly admired Nehru for his parliamentary practices--even though ideologically, the two leaders were poles apart. Those were the days when Jan Sangh was still in its infancy (In the first general elections held in 1952 it managed only three Lok Sabha seats) but nevertheless huge crowds gathered to listen to this young Jan Sangh leader. The young man spoke almost flawless Hindi, kept his sentences short and crisp and often swirled his hands up in air as he spoke. Not a single soul left the ground till he had spoken the last word. That budding leader was none other than Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
But that was almost five decades ago. This is 2006: Vajpayee is the last speaker in BJP's huge parivartan rally organized in the Ambedkar grounds in Lucknow. He begins to speak and within minutes crowd beings to leave the ground. And, by the time Vajpayee reads the last para...the ground is virtually empty. In disdain Atal remarks: "Lagta hai badi thand hai...logon ko ghar jana hai.(it seems weather its getting cold people want to go home). Remember leaders can take on a blow from a cop, they will not mind public hurling choicest of abuses against them and they can even take an occasional sting operation by the media--- but any leader's biggest disappointment can be speaking to empty stands.
This is what Atal Bihari Vajpai the founder president of BJP and former prime minister of India must have felt when he saw people leaving the rally ground in this own constituency Lucknow.
Critics will have their own views. They may say Vajpayee's age it taking the better of him. They may argue that this is the end of the Vajpayee old magic. But clearly Vajpayee remains one of the finest speakers of his generations, despite his ill health in recent times.
But it is Vajpayee's failing memory...that could be one of the biggest worry for the party leaders. Just on the eve of his 82nd birthday Vajpayee gave clear indication that even as he is regarded as most respected leader in his party...he might not be physically fit to lead the party in the next Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2009.
Earlier during the day, during the concluding session of the party's national council meet every one including the media eagerly waited for Vajpayee to speak. Advani had just finished his long speech attacking mainly the UPA government and praising chief ministers and deputy chief minister of the BJP ruled states present in the meet. When Vajpayee's turn came one expected some Sonia bashing. But to every ones surprise that did not happen. Vajpai restricted his speech mainly to Uttar Pradesh and this constituency Lucknow although he did say that all "roads to Delhi pass through Lucknow" - A clear message that BJP should take UP elections very seriously.
Rajnath Singh moved restlessly on his seat and Advani could do nothing but smile when Atal started his speech by thanking Mulayam Singh Yadav for the 'warm hospitality' extended to the BJP leaders during the Lucknow national executive meet. But BJP leaders soon calmed down when Atal (after a brief customary pause) said "I express my serious concern about BJP workers getting killed in Uttar Pradesh."
The 2500 BJP national council workers who gathered from all parts of the country hoped Vajpayee would turn his focus on national issues. But that was not to be. Atal reminded his national council how polluted the Gomti river had become over the years.
"It is the same river where I immersed my mother's ashes," he said nostalgically. He even recalled how as a young student he came to Lucknow to take admission in the law faculty of the Lucknow University.
There were bursts of laughter when Vajpayee after congratulating Rajnath Singh for being elected as party's national president quipped: "I never got a chance to become BJP president." Rajnath Singh immediately reminded him that he was the first BJP president when the party was founded in 1980. To which Vajpayeeji promptly replied: "I was the first and the last!"
Even at this age Vajpayee has not lost his wit and humor; although his ambiguous statements (some say Vajpayee does that on purpose) often create ripples with every rank and file of the party.
But at the parivartan rally in Lucknow, where BJP was to kick off its election campaign -Vajpayee did what was least expected. Instead of criticizing Mulayam Singh Yadav Vajpayee took on the UPA government particularly Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He spoke at length on issues such as inflation and minority appeasement before the UP crowd. (Remember and it was supposed to be an election rally). Party's election campaign in Uttar Pradesh is mainly against Mulayam Singh Yadav's bad governance.
Whether it was deliberate on part of Vajpayee to take up local issues at the national council meet and leave the national issues for the election rally...only he can tell. But there was virtual panic among the BJP leaders (especially the Uttar Pradesh BJP unit which had put on days of hard work to organize rally in the Ambedkar rally maidan) when they see crowd leaving the rally ground as their top leader was speaking. Let me tell you that capacity of this rally ground is close to three lakh and most parties (except perhaps Mayawati) usually avoid organizing rallies in this huge ground.
By the time an SPG personnel helped Vajpayee take out his reading glasses from his pocket so that he could read out how many murders, rapes and kidnappings took place in Uttar Pradesh; almost 90 per cent of the crowd had left the rally ground.
A local party worker remarked: "It seems Atalji's speech got changed!"
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