Bitten by travel bug: Advani sets pace, Sonia matches it mile for mile

Four days ago, he was at another birthday bash: in Kochi, where he inaugurated the four-day fiesta commemorating the 50th birth anniversary of spiritual guru Ma Amritanandamayi. In between, he made a quick trip to Somnath temple to mark the anniversary of his own rath yatra.

That’s not all. A day before the sojourn to Kochi, he traversed through Chhattisgarh, laying the foundation stone of a steel plant at Nagarnar in the Bastar region, and two days before that (September 21) he was at Khajuraho, laying yet another foundation stone for the modernisation of the airport terminal and opening a museum on the temple town’s cultural heritage.

On September 10, he was at Bangalore to attend the BJP office-bearers meeting (and used the occasion to inaugurate a Sindhi school in the city), and on September 4, he went to Bhuj and Mandavi to inaugurate the new terminal complex at the Bhuj civil airport and take the ashes of freedom fighter Krishnaji Varma to his ancestral home in Mandavi.

And it’s only September. Once the Election Commission announces the dates of the five Assembly polls — expected after Dussehra — the pace of travel will speed up that much more.

Matching Advani mile for mile is Sonia Gandhi. Unlike Advani who, after being elevated to the status of deputy prime minister, has access to the VIP squadron of the IAF planes and choppers, the Congress chief hires private choppers and travels a lot by road.

But she has managed to cover a lot of distance this month: a public meeting in Leh on September 25; a road show through three districts of Rajasthan ‘‘to see for herself the extent of drought relief work’’ on Sept 15-16; and meetings and inaugurations in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chattisgarh and Karnataka. Besides, of course, a trip to Amethi on September 19.

An AICC secretary insists that Sonia Gandhi travels more ‘‘than general secretaries and secretaries put together’’, and her ‘‘indefatigable energy’’ is already being projected as her USP against Atal Behari Vajpayee’s rather leisured gait.

Sonia Gandhi’s busy campaign schedule may be par for the course, given that she is the Leader of the Opposition and has no other task on hand but to galvanise the party. But Advani too — he presumably has enough on his plate with the dual responsibilities of Home and DPM — seems more keen to take on his old role of party supremo.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Advani admitted that his travels across the country had increased over the past year after Venkaiah Naidu became BJP president and it was decided that he (Advani) would have to devote some time to party work as and when required.

‘‘Earlier I was confined only to government and was, therefore, mostly in the capital, but now I have some more responsibility (of party work),’’ Advani said, adding that he also accepted invitations to functions ‘‘that interest me.’’

These interests presumably cover Hindi film music — explains the alacrity with which he accepted the Lata invite — and spiritual concerns. And he always seizes a chance to show case the development schemes of the government. Hence, the spate of inaugurations of airport terminals, steel plants, Doordarshan centres et al.

Much of Advani’s recent travels don’t come under the rubric of ‘‘party work’’ and are not confined to states going to the polls this year. But BJP sources maintain that the ‘‘party machinery is so well-linked’’ that regardless of the venue or ostensible purpose of his visits, it ensures high visibility that contribute to raising the party’s profile as elections draw near.

And no doubt they help in raising his personal profile too. Just as Sonia’s men gush about ‘‘Madam’s amazing stamina’’ on the road, Advani’s aides make much of their 75-year-old leader’s ‘‘fitness and lack of fatigue.’’

So is it going to be Sonia versus Advani this time round? Not for the post of PM but for the title of FMTP: the fittest and most travelled politician.