Pawan Bansal campaign trail: Reporting from Ground Zero

As Bansal landed in the market around 11.30 am,his supporters,several among whom were part of the Youth Congress,greeted him with garlands and dhol beats. Accompanying the leader were president of Chandigarh Territorial Youth Congress H S Lucky and senior leader Davinder Singh Babla. Other leaders including president of the Congress unit in the city,B B Bahl,Subhash Chawla,J S Kang,Ravinder Pal Singh and Pardeep Chhabra also make appearances as the padyatra marched forward with reverberating slogans — Pawan Bansal ko vote dijiye,Inki kamyabi aapki apni kamyabi hai.

As Bansal met shopowners,he was warmly received with handshakes,sweets and the traditional ‘mishri’.

“At times,we walk for up to five hours a day. The response of the people keeps us going,” says Bansal.

As the padyatra navigates through Sectors 20 and 21,he pays obeisance at the two temples in Sector 20 where a special pooja was organised.

After two hours in the market,Bansal headed for Attawa where a Congress supporter who recently left the NCP,had prepared lunch for him. Villagers,councillors and panches of the area assembled as Bansal interacted with them over lunch.

On the issue of Lal Dora,Bansal said,“All those who accuse me of having finished panchayats in the villages do not realise that once a village comes under the Municipal Corporation,the problem of Lal Dora ends as the land comes under municipal limits.”

The next stop for the Congress leader was his residence where a small tent had been erected for people waiting to meet him.

“I am confident that 70 per cent of the votes in villages and colonies will be polled in our favour. My family is actively involved in the campaign with my wife and one of my sons holding meetings while the other son manages logistics,” said the leader.

The evenings are reserved for public meetings. After addressing a gathering in Industrial Area,Bansal left for Sector 20 to meet members of the Balmiki community. With actor Mukesh Rishi accompanying the Congress leader,a wave of excitement gripped the crowd.

After addressing another public gathering,Bansal headed home to attend meetings that stretched on till midnight. As people left,it was finally time for Bansal to call it a day or should we say “call it a night”.

The Congress leader has been elected MP three times in the past with two consecutive terms in 1999 and 2004.