As the dust settles on electoral tracts of UP, it’s time for the netas to let their hair down while parties take stock of their achievements and failures.
LUCKNOW: As the dust settles on the electoral tracts of UP, it’s time for the political gladiators to let their hair down while the parties take stock of their achievements and failures during the unprecedented month-long election campaign.
Jan Morcha leader and film star Raj Babbar has taken off for Bangkok to finish off a pending shooting schedule. Former CM and BJP leader Kalyan Singh is spending more time gardening than debating the possibilities of government formation. Ailing former PM VP Singh is finally taking some much-needed rest.
The top contender for the Chief Minister’s throne, BSP chief Mayawati, is in Delhi for a well-deserved breather from the hurly-burly of UP politics. She also plans to visit her native village Badalpur in Ghaziabad to spend some time with family.
“I am on a break from politics,” says Kalyan Singh. He is catching up with his favourite pastime, gardening. “I have not had the time to tend to my children,” he says, pointing to the varied plants in his lush garden. Kalyan says he is not willing to even discuss the subject of government-formation for the time being. “I will prefer to wait for anyone who wants to support me for Chief Minister. If we don’t have the numbers, we will not take any initiative to put someone in the (CM’s) chair,” he says. “I have to catch up on my sleep,” says Transport Minister Naresh Agarwal. “Since it’s not possible here (in Lucknow), I am going to Hardoi (his home town),” he says, adding that he will return only after the results are out.
A battle-weary CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, who addressed a record-breaking 337 public meetings, cannot afford the luxury of a break. “He is on the job at 9 am like any other day. He has a lot to wrap up here,” a senior official of the CM secretariat told DNA. His political secretary Virendra Singh describes Mulayam’s campaign as “back-breaking”, and says no other leader approaching age 70 would be able to emulate ‘Netaji’s’ performance.
Mulayam’s brother Shivpal Yadav, and son MP Akhilesh Yadav also have no respite as they are camping in Kayamganj (Farrukhabad) where a re-poll will be held on Thursday. SP general secretary Amar Singh, who addressed 121 rallies, is reported to have been advised extended bed rest after a recent kidney operation. Mayawati’s close confidant and BSP general secretary SC Misra, who is also a senior Supreme Court advocate, is catching up with the backlog of his court cases. “But I know I will be
able to get back to work only after the government is formed,” he says.
BJP election cell sources made an amusing revelation. “Hema Malini and Smriti Irani managed to gather more crowds than any of our top leaders except for Kalyan Singh,”
he said.
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