Times of India
Bipindra N C,TNN
30 Apr 2004, CHANDIGARH: At 51, BJP's Satya Pal Jain shows no signs of slowing down.
He has just addressed a poll meeting at Sector 40 and is rushing to another programme at Sector 52. At 11 pm on Wednesday night, Jain is at his 17th poll function of the day, but shows amazing energy levels.
There is no time to waste; it is poll season. For an MP, high energy level is a must, Jain says. He unwittingly explains it at the poll meeting. "Chandigarh MP is equal to a Chief Minister. He has all the means to get things done," he tells the voters.
The message is that the sitting MP has not used his energies for the city's benefit.
Jain begins his speech by thanking Punjabi silver screen comedian Meher Mittal, who has accompanied him. For the first few minutes, Jain stands aside to allow the people to enjoy the gibes Mittal takes at BJP's rivals in his own inimitable style.
Then begins the real poll talk. After appealing in the name of development and Vajpayee, Jain talks about the local issues of irregular water supply and development of parks.
Finally, he takes a swipe at Sonia's foreign origin. "We accord respect to the country's bahu. But that does not mean a person from Italy could take Indian citizenship after 15 years and aspire to rule the country," he says.
There ends his public meeting. Now, Jain takes time to share a glass of fruit juice with residents and at midnight, he is off home in Sector 15C in his favourite Ambassador. When TNN catches up with Jain again, it is 5.30 am on Thursday at his residence. An early riser, Jain is ready in his sparkling white kurta-pyjama.
He has two pens in his kurta pocket - a blue ink pen and another green. He explains: "I developed this habit after becoming a Lok Sabha member in 1996. Green ink is for LS members and Red is for Rajya Sabha members. I still continue to use green ink."
Jain is ready to go to the first programme at 6 am - a padyatra at Raipur Kalan village. A folder with the day's schedule is handed over to him and it contains a long list of 16 campaign programmes, apart from a bhog for social activist Ramesh Chandolia at Dadu Majra and eight weddings. All jam-packed within the available 18 hours.
His first stop is at the party's city unit president Yash Pal Mahajan's residence for a quick recap and plan for the day with senior workers, before he hits the road.
Once in Raipur Kalan, Jain accepts garlands from the villagers, including a sizable number of Sikhs. He wastes no time to go around the village seeking support. Most villagers are taken by surprise at this early hour intrusion. They still reciprocate his greetings with a smile.
After accepting a glass of milk offered by the villagers, Jain jumps back into his car to his next stop at Sector 27 market. A man with an eye for detail, he looks out of the car window along the way to check for any indications of the poll winds. "For the first time, the BJP has made inroads into the villages," he says pointing at the posters on walls and the BJP flags fluttering from housetops.
Bipindra N C,TNN
30 Apr 2004, CHANDIGARH: At 51, BJP's Satya Pal Jain shows no signs of slowing down.
He has just addressed a poll meeting at Sector 40 and is rushing to another programme at Sector 52. At 11 pm on Wednesday night, Jain is at his 17th poll function of the day, but shows amazing energy levels.
There is no time to waste; it is poll season. For an MP, high energy level is a must, Jain says. He unwittingly explains it at the poll meeting. "Chandigarh MP is equal to a Chief Minister. He has all the means to get things done," he tells the voters.
The message is that the sitting MP has not used his energies for the city's benefit.
Jain begins his speech by thanking Punjabi silver screen comedian Meher Mittal, who has accompanied him. For the first few minutes, Jain stands aside to allow the people to enjoy the gibes Mittal takes at BJP's rivals in his own inimitable style.
Then begins the real poll talk. After appealing in the name of development and Vajpayee, Jain talks about the local issues of irregular water supply and development of parks.
Finally, he takes a swipe at Sonia's foreign origin. "We accord respect to the country's bahu. But that does not mean a person from Italy could take Indian citizenship after 15 years and aspire to rule the country," he says.
There ends his public meeting. Now, Jain takes time to share a glass of fruit juice with residents and at midnight, he is off home in Sector 15C in his favourite Ambassador. When TNN catches up with Jain again, it is 5.30 am on Thursday at his residence. An early riser, Jain is ready in his sparkling white kurta-pyjama.
He has two pens in his kurta pocket - a blue ink pen and another green. He explains: "I developed this habit after becoming a Lok Sabha member in 1996. Green ink is for LS members and Red is for Rajya Sabha members. I still continue to use green ink."
Jain is ready to go to the first programme at 6 am - a padyatra at Raipur Kalan village. A folder with the day's schedule is handed over to him and it contains a long list of 16 campaign programmes, apart from a bhog for social activist Ramesh Chandolia at Dadu Majra and eight weddings. All jam-packed within the available 18 hours.
His first stop is at the party's city unit president Yash Pal Mahajan's residence for a quick recap and plan for the day with senior workers, before he hits the road.
Once in Raipur Kalan, Jain accepts garlands from the villagers, including a sizable number of Sikhs. He wastes no time to go around the village seeking support. Most villagers are taken by surprise at this early hour intrusion. They still reciprocate his greetings with a smile.
After accepting a glass of milk offered by the villagers, Jain jumps back into his car to his next stop at Sector 27 market. A man with an eye for detail, he looks out of the car window along the way to check for any indications of the poll winds. "For the first time, the BJP has made inroads into the villages," he says pointing at the posters on walls and the BJP flags fluttering from housetops.
