A 15-year-old on campaign trail

KANPUR: The issues which she picks up during the public meetings are more older than her age. But when she starts deliberations on the age-old issues related to Indian democracy viz communal harmony, secularism etc the depth of her knowledge on the subject and flawless oration can give many a seasoned politicians a run for their money.
Blessed with the gift of gab, Sadhna Bharti, 15, is in the ivy-league of star campaigners for the grand old party of nation, Congress.She is currently camping in Kanpur for three days to woo voters for Sriprakash Jaiswal, the candidate from Congress.
Dressed in `sadhvi style', Bharti knows how to sound politically-correct and in her single sentence, which can last up to 10 minutes, keeps on praising the Congress while breathing fire at opponents.
She equates Lal Krishna Advani to Mungeri Lal, the protagonist of the Doordarshan serial of the same name. Bharti says, "Advaniji is dreaming like Mungeri Lal to become PM of India and he will keep on dreaming so."
Bharti, whose curriculum vitae has hundreds of public rallies to her name, across the country, tries to pin down Mayawati, CM of Uttar Pradesh on the issue of crime and says, "Chad gaye gunde hathi par, mare goli chati par (The criminals sitting atop elephant are shooting people in the chest).''
Bharti has easy access to 10 Janpath, residence of the first family of Congress and has shared dais with all the movers and shakers of their domains, Gandhis -- Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka, Somanth Chatterjee, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Baba Ramdev, Raj Babbar and others.
But the Congress remains her priority. She says that impressed by the Congress ideology in 2003, she has made it a point to pitch in for the party in each elections from then onwards.
The title of `Vishwakanya' which was fondly given to her by Delhi journos impressed by her oratory skills, often gets dangerously distorted to `Vishkanya'(serpent-girl) but she exudes professionalism at such gestures and ducks uncomfortable questions with a smile.
A student of Class X, she wishes to enter the field of journalism, few years from now.