Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee would have made a bigger splash had he basked in the glory of the Indian cricket team’s win in Pakistan today. For his audience in rural Maharashtra certainly knew the language of cricket, if not the economic jargon he used to describe India’s phenomenal growth.But the tribals of this region, who turned up in large numbers to listen to the PM — the first one ever to visit them — did not return home unhappy, for his speech did eventually strike a chord with them.Vajpayee, who was here campaigning for sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga, spoke at length on the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin. ‘‘Whether a foreigner can occupy a high office in the country is a matter of debate which should take place in a calm and composed atmosphere,’’ he told the gathering. He did not, however, name the Congress chief.Mocking the Congress-NCP unity, Vajpayee evoked a thunderous response when he said: ‘‘I don’t understand why they (Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar) have chosen April Fools’ Day to go together to Solapur.’’The speech was punctuated by some well-rehearsed lines in Marathi, which produced the desired effect. ‘‘Voting cha divshi ghari basu naka (Don’t stay indoors on polling day),’’ he said.But some refused to be swayed by the rhetoric. Suresh Thorat, a tribal from Dahanu, said: ‘‘I came here to hear Vajpayee comment about the development of our region, his plans for us, and also about our cricket team’s victory in Pakistan.’’The PM didn’t disappoint him. If not cricket, his speech went on to lack of development in the region — he promised the constituency, 140 kms from Mumbai, a substantial package.‘‘It’s a difficult task to help the tribal areas and to preserve their identity as well,’’ he added. Vajpayee hinted at fulfilling the long-pending demand for a Dahanu-Nashik railway line, promised to set aside funds for this purpose.
