The twirl in the drooping moustache

Perhaps for the first time in India’s political history, a party is seeking to brazen its way out of charges of corruption by conjuring...

Perhaps for the first time in India’s political history, a party is seeking to brazen its way out of charges of corruption by conjuring up a ‘‘sympathy wave’’ for a man who was forced to resign under embarrassing circumstances.

In Delhi, the BJP is claiming that Dilip Singh Judeo upheld accountability and resigned once he was shown on video accepting bundles of cash. But in Chhattisgarh, the party is singing a different tune. Taking a cue from L.K. Advani’s remark that Judeo will be the ‘‘star campaigner’’, the local unit is reworking the BJP’s campaign theme to give top billing to their new hero.

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The BJP campaign in the state, which had been floundering for lack of any single leader or any emotive issue, has suddenly found a focus.

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The party is following a two-pronged approach: create sympathy for Judeo by portraying him as a victim of Jogi’s machinations; and make the issue of ‘conversions’ by Christian missionaries the main theme of the campaign.

In the BJP office here this afternoon, the party’s campaign managers were putting final touches to posters emblazoned with Judeo’s portrait and slogans such as ‘‘Jogiji aap kewal yahi kar sakte hain, shadyantra, saazish aur charitrahaani (Jogi all you are capable of is conspiracy, machinations and character assassination)’’, and ‘‘Yeh Aswhamedha ka ghoda hai, Bhajpa ne chhoda hai (This is the Ashwamedha horse let loose by the BJP)’’. The BJP also plans to release Judeo’s ‘‘heart-rending’’ letter, addressed to the people of Chhattisgarh, proclaiming his innocence. In the letter, Judeo says what pains him most about the ‘‘forged CD’’ is that it seeks to damage ‘‘not me and my forefathers but also my party’’.

He also reiterates that he was targeted because he has been battling ‘‘international anti-Hindu forces’’. Claiming that he had never hankered after position or wealth, Judeo adds: ‘‘I have come to your court, all I want is justice’’.

While the BJP is hoping to galvanise its campaign through the Jogi versus Judeo theme, Judeo’s rivals are playing along because they know that even if he is projected as the main leader today, he cannot become CM in case of a BJP victory because of the CBI inquiry.

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To milk him for what he is worth, the party has worked out a gruelling schedule for him—six public meetings every day till the campaign ends.

But despite the BJP’s manufactured hype, Judeo comes across as somewhat confused and sad. Returning to Raipur for the night before yet another chopper stop tour tomorrow, the Macho Man with his famous moustache met a couple of reporters at the guest-house of his old alma mater, the colonial era Raj Kumar College. But his minders gave him just five minutes and he harped on his pet theme of conversions. No, could not talk of the VCD because an inquiry was on.

But he did say one thing. ‘‘My mother who is over 80 was very upset.’’

• Excerpts from the transcript of the VCD