Spot: A guest house
Time: 2 pm
BJP workers are assembled in a room, watching TV. Party president Rajnath Singh’s press conference is being beamed live.
Singh announces that Varun Gandhi will be the party candidate from Pilibhit, and the relief can be seen on the faces of those in the room. Soon, the celebration starts.
After some time, the cellphone of BJP district president Yoginder Singh Gangwar rings. Gangwar’s assistant, Man Singh, passes the phone to him. “Varun bhaiya is on the line,” he says.
The cellphone’s speaker is on and the subsequent talk between the two can be heard. Varun: “Adhyakshji, soh rahe ho kaya (District president, are you sleeping)?”
Gangwar congratulates Varun and says, “Mein TV par news dekh raha tha (I was watching the news on TV).”
Varun: “Prachar kaisa chal raha hai? Karyakarta chunav mein kaam kar rahein hain? Meri demand badh gayi hain. Doosre rajyon se BJP ummidwar mujhe prachar ke liye bula rahein hain. Mein apne chetr mein kum samay dey paoonga. Pura chunav ab aap logo ko sambhalna hain.
(How is the campaign progressing? Are cadres working in the field? My demand has gone up. BJP candidates from other states are inviting me for their election campaign. I’ll be able to give less time to my own constituency. All of you will have to handle my election).”
{{/usCountry}}(How is the campaign progressing? Are cadres working in the field? My demand has gone up. BJP candidates from other states are inviting me for their election campaign. I’ll be able to give less time to my own constituency. All of you will have to handle my election).”
{{/usCountry}}Gangwar: Chunav prachar teekh chal raha hain. Karyakarta apne chetre mein lage huein hain. Karyakarta mein josh bharne key liye aap ka Pilibhit aana jaroori hain. (The election campaign is moving at a good pace. Workers are campaigning in respective areas. You must visit this place to motivate the workers).”
Varun: “Theek hain. Ek rally ki tayari karein. BJP ke saarey MLA aur bahut saarey MP us rally mein bhaag lenge (Okay, start preparation for a rally. Several BJP MLAs and MPs will participate in that rally).”
Gangwar: Kya April pehle saptah mein rally ki tareek rakhoon (Should I schedule the rally for the first week of April)?”
Varun: Anya netaoun se baithak kar rally ki tareek tain kar ley (Fix the date of the rally after consulting other leaders).”
The phone conversation is over. Gangwar calls an emergency meeting of party leaders at the guest house. After the leaders of the district and the city units assemble in a hall, Gangwar says their arrival shows that the differences among them are over. The workers have been energised.
Later, he tells HT the workers have been directed to strictly follow the election model code of conduct.