BJP supremo Vajpayee has a captive audience as he hits the campaign trail

CLASS ACT: Atal Bihari Vajpayee launching the party campaign in characteristic style in RajkotAtal Bihari Vajpayee must be the only politician in the world who conducts press conferences with his eyes closed. He did so for exactly 12 minutes in Rajkot, Gujarat, just before launching his poll campaign at a huge public rally.The ease with words, a larger-than-life public persona, all contribute to a Vajpayee press conference often resembling a religious discourse. Inconvenient questions are answered with the eyes suddenly opening, followed by a half-bored, half-dismissive one-liner.But the seasoned political practitioner gets his point across when he wants to. Asked the meaning of "Vajpayeeism" in the BJP, he responds: "What is Vajpayeeism? I am hearing it for the first time," but minutes later, adds: "I am grateful to the party for projecting me as prime minister. But it is the people of India who choose a prime minister - not a party."With the BJP banking heavily on his liberal facade, it was an assertive Vajpayee who hit the campaign trail in Gujarat last week. The choice of Gujarat was in itself significant. The damaging Khajuria-Hajuria split of 1996 and continued factionalism in the state must surely rate as the biggest failure of the party during the presidentship of L.K. Advani. That is why it was of symbolic importance that the three BJP strongmen of Gujarat, Keshubhai Mehta, Sureshbhai Mehta and Kanshi Ram Rana, shared the stage with Vajpayee at every public rally in the state where assembly polls are now likely to take place with the Lok Sabha elections.If rallies are any indication of the public mood, then Vajpayee certainly drew a full house. And the master orator did not let down his audience. The most mundane political speech was given a dramatic edge. Vivid imagery to describe the disarray in the Congress. "Satta se bahar Congress, jaise pani ke bahar tadapti hui machli (An out of power Congress suffers life a fish out of water)." The theatrical stress on certain sentences to describe the Congress-United Front arrangement. "Elections are the heartbeat of any democracy." A pause. The voice lowers dramatically. "But if the heart beats too fast, it will lead to a heart failure!" The audience roars in approval. Vajpayeeism? Surely this must be it. There are other subtle elements that make up the Vajpayee package. His disapproval of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement is well known. A Surat BJP leader recalls Vajpayee's visit to the city at the height of the movement. A group of workers crying Jai Shri Ram were snubbed: "Bolte raho Jai Shri Ram. Aur karo mat kuch kaam (Keep shouting Jai Shri Ram. And don't do any other work)." This time round the Hindutva war cries were muted.For all his contempt for the Jai Shri Ram brand of BJPism, Vajpayee is adept at evoking Hindu imagery - but with a touch of class. During an address to the Swami Narayan sect in Rajkot before his public rally, he easily won over the audience. .preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}"Yesterday, December 25, was my birthday. Aaj mai gurukul mein aa gaya. Bhagwan Purushottum ke gurukul se apna abhiyan chalu kiya hai... (Today I have started my campaign from the this gurukul of Bhagwan Purushottam...)." The kind of dialogue a Hindi film scriptwriter would envy. Ever the pundit, Sanskrit sholkas such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world's a small family) are easily recalled to justify swadeshi economic policies: "Every member of the parivar is ours. But we don't want Bharat to become a bazaar."The best is naturally saved for the last. The slogan across Gujarat was "Raj Tilak ki karo tayari. Aa rahen hai Atal Bihari (Prepare for the coronation of Atal Bihari)". As he faced the 60,000-strong crowd in Ahmedabad last week, Vajpayee said: "Jab Bhagwan Ram ke Raj Tilak ki tayari ho rahi thi, tab hi unko chaudah saal banvaas ho gaya (Ram was exiled for 14 years just when preparations were on for his coronation)." He leaves the crowd laughing - a talent that makes him a formidable political performer.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Jan 12, 1998--- ENDS ---

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BJP supremo Vajpayee has a captive audience as he hits the campaign trail

A quote here, an anecdote there and the BJP supremo has a captive audience as he hits the campaign trail.

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