At 78,touring all day and ready for more

“I can work 10 more hours a day,” he tells The Indian Express. “I am a motivated worker and draw my energy from the people. My rallies are drawing crowds of 8,000 to 10,000 everywhere,which for Himachal is a large number.”

On Sunday,after accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Una,he was to stay overnight to campaign in the district again in the morning. However,the programme was called off and he flew to Shimla to leave for Dharamsala on Monday morning.

After addressing a public meeting at Dharamsala,he heads for Janjahli. Next on the itinerary is Seraj in Mandi district,followed by Shillai in Sirmaur and Jaisinghpur in Kangra district. By 5.30,his helicopter lands in Shimla and his motorcade heads for a roadhsow to the last constituency for the day,Kusumpti in urban Shimla,to campaign for another royal candidate,first-timer Anirudh Singh who hails from the erstwhile Koti Riyasat.

It halts at a shopping complex where a crowd of a few hundred welcomes him with slogans of “Janta ka sahara,Virbhadra hamara”. He snacks on dry fruits,a staple at all public meetings. He is introduced by one of the organisers as “Jise Himachal ki janata bhagwan saman manti hai (one who is revered as God by the people of Himachal). Virbhadra’s voice sounds feeble,though,when he begins reading out names handwritten by Anirudh,the Kusumpti candidate.

“I toured today from Dharamshala to Mandi,Shillai and Kangra. Wherever I am going,there has been an overwhelming response. Your enthusiasm will bring us back to power,” he says. He then repeats his challenges,most of them without naming CM Prem Kumar Dhumal. “Has the BJP government given you new educational institutions or hospitals? Have you got jobs? All they have done is claim credit for Central schemes.”

Referring to pictures of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 108 ambulances,he quips,“Ab isi ambulance mein Bhajpa sarkar Himachal se bahar jayegi. Yehi ambulance ab Dhumal to Jalandhar le jayegi (Now in these ambulances will the BJP go out of the state,and Dhumal to Jalandhar).”

At this point,something goes wrong with the microphone and Virbhadra’s voice fails to reach even those near him. He is quick to allege “mike tampering” by the BJP,drawing cheers from the crowd. Facing corruption charges himself,he ends with,“All misdeeds of the BJP will be investigated and those found guilty will be punished.” About the charges against him,Virbhadra tells The Indian Express,“I am ready to face any investigation. Let them prove I am guilty.”

As Virbhadra leaves for another public meeting at Mehli and Malyana villages in Kusumpti,AICC observer Raja Pataria says the Congress brought in Virbhdara after ground surveys. “For the first time,we went to villages in Himachal to know what the people want. The public demand was for Raja Sahib. The Congress already had an edge; now our prospects are even better as Virbhadra has his own fan following,” he says.

One of the listeners,K R Chauhan,a retired colonel,too offers his views. “There was already anti-incumbency against the Dhumal government. Virbhadra’s whirlwind tour of the state in the last few days has made all the difference. More people are thronging the meetings to see and hear Virbhadra Singh than central leaders. He is the one-man army of the Congress today,” he says. “He cannot be pronounced guilty until the charges are proved. There are corruption charges against the Dhumal government too.”

By the time Virbhadra completes campaigning in Kusumpti,it is nine. He heads home to plan the next day,when Sonia Gandhi has to address rallies at Shimla and Kangra. His OSD,Amitpal Singh,says these days even he is not being able to keep track where Raja Sahib is. “We are trying to fit in all 68 seats before campaigning ends. But a few may remain as he also has to accompany visiting star campaigners,” Amitpa says. “His wife and son are managing his seat (Shimla Rural) for him.”