For years the BJP's suave face in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley is getting a taste of the rough and tumble world of an Indian election in the city of Amritsar, from where he has chosen to make his Lok Sabha debut.
The entry of Congress heavyweight Amarinder Singh is likely to make it a closely-fought battle, with Mr Singh claiming that Mr Jaitley is an outsider, a charge the latter has countered by pointing to family links in Amritsar, and playing the local boy routine to the hilt.
We caught up with Mr Jaitley at a gathering of BJP workers, where on a stage milling with local leaders, the suave backroom strategist held aloft a sword. In keeping with his 'Amritsari' reinvention, he went on to deliver an hour-long speech in fluent Punjabi, which included an acerbic rejoinder to the outsider label, levelled by his Congress rival, Captain Amarinder Singh. Mr Singh had rebutted Mr Jaitley's claims of family links in Amritsar, saying "Jaitley is not an insider, he is an outsider".
He also argued that Mr Singh, who is himself from the Patiala royal family, can hardly claim to be a local. A week after the Congress declared his candidature, Mr Singh has yet to arrive in Amritsar. (Arun Jaitley takes a dig at Congress for fielding 'reluctant' Amarinder Singh)
On the day of our visit, Mr Jaitley, who has set up base in a banquet hall in the city, met (and fed) a stream of local worthies, opened a media centre, and lobbied with Amritsar's small but influential Christian community.
A group of lawyers shouted pro-Amarinder slogans as the senior BJP leader made his way to his car. They told us that Mr Jaitley won't do anything for the constituency if he wins, and will simply disappear back to Delhi. Captain Singh, they claimed, has stronger Punjab roots. Lawyers loyal to the BJP rebutted those charges, saying Mr Jaitley's national stature will help Amritsar.
As one lawyer told us, "We don't want VIP's. We want a local man, who will work for us."
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