Targets of footwear missiles run victory lap

It may be just a coincidence,but all the political leaders who were targets of 'shoe' missiles in the run-up to the general elections have emerged winners....

It may be just a coincidence,but all the political leaders who were targets of ‘shoe’ missiles in the run-up to the general elections have emerged winners.

While Home Minister P Chidambaram,BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and industrialist Naveen Jindal have won their own elections,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,who did not contest the polls,has emerged winner in terms of Congress-led UPA returning to power.

Besides,Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has ensured a victory for his son B Y Raghavendra in the polls.

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Singh,Chidambaram,Advani,Jindal and Yeddyurappa were among the political leaders who were targetted during the campaign,although none of them were hit actually.

The Prime Minister,too,was targetted when a student hurled a sneaker towards him when he was addressing his first poll rally in Gujarat.

Last month,a slipper was also lobbed at Advani by a former BJP worker during a public meeting,while a retired school headmaster threw a footwear at Congress candidate in Kurukshetra Navin Jindal during a poll rally.

It all started with journalist Jarnail Singh,who hurled a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram on April 8,protesting against the clean chit given by the CBI to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

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The Karnataka Chief Minister also became a target at an election meeting in Hassan district,150 km from Bangalore,late last month.