New Delhi

May 5, 2004

IS RAM JETHMALANI A REAL FIGHTER? - IS HE GIVING A TOUGH FIGHT TO THE PM?

RAM JETHMALANI FEELS THAT CONGRESS DID NOT CANVASS OR CAMPAIGN FOR HIM

Is Ram Jethmalani a real challenge to the PM. But he is not.. There are other contenders - 31 in all. These are candidates from local parties with unfamiliar abbreviations and 17 Independents, apart from Jethmalani. To fight against lotus (kamal - BJPsymbol) the opponents election symbols are
interesting. The voters have an eclectic collection to choose from if they don't want to vote lotus. There are Jethmalani's candles, an almirah, banana, scissors, aeroplane, coat, camera, book, a walking stick, even a bat and a glass tumbler. And more.

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Big fight: Atal takes on Ram in Lucknow

It's the battle royal. In the land of nawabs, Brand Vajpayee takes on an "old friend" in octogenarian jurist and Independent candidate Ram Jethmalani. As an electoral contest it does not promise nail-biting suspense. Few will
put money on Ram Boolchand wresting Lucknow from Atal Bihari. Despite the Congress supporting him and Muslim leader Shahabuddin exhorting the community to come out and vote en mass for Jethmalani. Despite Jethmalani
Promising to trap Vajpayee with his patent 10 questions.

Jethmalani has earlier served as nominated member of the Rajya Sabha with the BJP's support. He was also Law Minister in the NDA government for about a year.

Vajpayee has accused Jethmalani of switching loyalty for the sake of power. Jethmalani is peeved the PM did not heed his advice on important legal matters and in the run-up to the election, promised to tarnish Vajpayee's image.

It has been an engaging encounter. The dramatic manner in which Jethmalani plunged into the battle, goaded on by a delighted Congress. Then Prime Minister Vajpayee appealed to an old friend not to contest.

Expectedly, Jethmalani complied and unexpectedly was back in the race in no time again - though he is not as holesomely backed by the Opposition as he had thought he would be when he decided to contest.

Both the BSP and the SP have fielded their own candidates - little known local politicians. The BSP candidate is Nasir Ali Siddiqui, at 29 almost a third the Prime Minister's age. The SP has fielded a woman candidate Madhu Gupta.

Lucknow, the VIP constituency, meanwhile, has kept in the news. The sari stampede that left 22 dead took some luminosity off Vajpayee shining. A worried BJP has since trained all its ammunition on UP, the state that will indubitably tilt the balance.

The Lucknow voters are special in that it is only here, of 545 seats, where the electorate knows it is voting in a Prime Minister. There is no other stated candidate for that post in these elections.

On the eve of polling day, Vajpayee was all over television exhorting voters to come out and vote. He has the advantage of a huge brand recall. Jethmalani has, at best, novelty value. But since it is Atal, it's the day's big fight.