Jagmohan flaunts his initiatives

NEW DELHI: At 76, Jagmohan is fitterthan most men his age. At 7.30 am, he seems more than keen to start his campaignfor the day. He arrives at the B K Dutt Colony near Lodhi Estate at 7.45 am, alittle after his party workers. He begins by seeking blessings of a priest andoffering Rs 100 at the temple.Shouts of "Lok Sabha mein jayega kaun?Jagmohan, Jagmohan!" ring loud and clear as he makes his way through the streetsof the colony.People come out on their balconies and watch withamusement. As he threads his way through Aliganj and then Valmiki Basti, thescene remains the same. Party workers coax onlookers to garland the minister. Nowords are exchanged except polite greetings. The accompanying loudspeaker fillsthe air with Jagmohan''s ‘Kashmir se Kanyakumari tak''achievements.All places of worship become spots for short breaks. Inhis address, Jagmohan, after summing up the work he has done in Uttaranchal andVaishno Devi, touches upon the topic of Leave Travel Concession (LTC) forgovernment employees. "You have to remember who has worked for you," hesays.Speaking of developing a park in Aliganj, he adds: "Your livingconditions will improve." The cheers, however, come mainly from the partyworkers as most of the onlookers have melted away.Next stop isPillanji village in the Sarojni Nagar area. As he criss-crosses his way throughthe bylanes, he says: "I''ll put more enthusiasm and dedication into thedevelopment of this village." Apart from the padyatra, there arepanchayat and public meetings with residents of different areas lined up. Whenquizzed about chances of his victory, considering that victory margins have gonedown in the past elections, Jagmohan gets defensive. "I don''t get into allthis," is the refrain.