The kisan ploughs on,from village to village

Dressed in a dark bandhgala suit and sporting his trademark red Himachali cap,Dhumal,who is on a last-minute dash in his constituency,seems to have given special thought to his footwear. Probably anticipating the amount of walking he’ll be expected to do in the narrow village bylanes,he’s chosen a pair of sports shoes.

Amid slogans of “Dhumal ji ko Jai Shri Ram” and “Chappa Chappa Bhajpa”,Dhumal,who has been flooded with garlands but seems reluctant to wear them,takes the 100-metre descent from the main road to the spot where a small audience awaits him. “Ek taraf Raja hai,doosri taraf kisan ka,fauji ka beta hai… jo logon ka dard samajhta hai,” the local leader says in his opening remarks. It’s a comparison between the Raja (Virbhadra Singh) and “the son of a farmer and a soldier,who understands the people’s problems better”.

Once the mike is handed over to him,Dhumal says,“When I decided to contest from here,my colleagues asked me to focus on the rest of the state and that they would take care of this constituency. But I know sometimes people can be disappointed about a candidate not visiting his own constituency before polling. Log sochne lagte hain ki jo ab nahi aye,who election ke baad kya ayenge. Isiliye,main apne devi-devtaon ko haazri lagane aya hoon” (I have come to pay obeisance to my gods and goddesses).

“The work done by our government has been appreciated across the country. We have introduced programmes that have benefited all,” he says. “We gave free uniforms to our school students and paid for the tailoring. When we come back to power,we will give them not only a school bag but also a dictionary each,” he promises,going on to underline more promises from the BJP manifesto such as free medicines to all in government hospitals and a free pilgrimage once every five years to the elderly.

And then comes the ace he’s been holding up his sleeve. Moving his hand towards an aide standing behind him,Dhumal pulls out an induction cooker. “Yeh LPG se nahin,bijli se chalta hai. In a matter of a couple of minutes,it can ready two meals. It consumes very little electricity and the monthly bill will be Rs 150. Our government will give this induction cooker free,first to the poor and subsequently to everyone. Yeh rahat mahilaon ke liye sabse bada vayda hai” (This relief is our greatest promise to the womenfolk),he promises,before leaving Gauta.

He has eight more public meetings,all in small villages across his constituency,lined up for the evening that seems to have just begun for him.

Back in the front seat of his Toyota Innova,Dhumal tells The Indian Express that he is “expecting to win 45 seats”. “People in Himachal know this government delivers what it promises while the Congress has only given them inflation and corruption,” he says,before stepping out again for a public meeting at Mair village.

After the ceremonies,during which he is presented a sehra and a golden-coloured mace,Dhumal makes another slew of promises — from hiking daily wages for labourers to raising various pensions. “November 4 tak apka kaam hai. December 20 ke baad sab kaam hamara,” he tells the audience,asking them to call up relatives and friends to ensure everybody votes for the lotus. Before leaving,he once again displays his biggest promise: the induction cooker.

At Ser Balouni village,Dhumal is greeted with chants of “Raja nahin kisan hai,Himachal ki shaan hai” (He’s a farmer,not a king; he’s the pride of Himachal). He goes through the same drill,almost clinically. And enthused by the fervour of the crowd,he lets off a tactical calculation. “If we win all five seats in Hamirpur district,we’ll form the next government,” he tells them. And as he’s about to step down from the dais,Dhumal does what he hasn’t done all evening. “Jai Shri Ram,” he says,leaving the audience in raptures.

Back in his car,he asks one of his aides if he’s carrying the roasted black gram. In a flash,the aide pulls a bag from the rear seat,grabs a handful and gives it to the CM. “This is something you cannot eat much of in one go. And yet,it’s quite nutritious,” Dhumal beams. Another half-a-dozen daises await him. It is going to be a long evening. He is not complaining.