Mohit Dubey
The Times of India
September 27, 1999
Title: `Dream-girl' takes Amethi by storm Author: Mohit Dubey Publication: The Times of India Date:September 27, 1999 AMETHI: ``Basanti'' has never met him, but as she criss-crossed Amethi on Saturday on a chopper, she spoke about him as a besotted fan, hailing him as ``the man of the century'' and the ``only man who could and should lead India to the next century''. ``While I have never had a chance to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee personally, I have high regard for him,'' she said. ``Baap re! (Oh my God!)'', she exclaimed when she saw the thousands of people lined up on the ground, many of whom rushed towards the helicopter. The dream girl of the 70's clearly retains her fan following. After the whirlwind tour of Priyanka Gandhi, the people of Amethi had another brush with glamour as Hema Malini, accompanied by film actor -turned politician Vinod Khanna, addressed meetings in support of BJP candidate Sanjay Singh. Dressed in a royal blue embroidered salwar suit, with only an eye liner and a lip gloss for makeup, the actress had the old and the young alike eating out of her hands. Criss-crossing Amethi on a MESCO Ecureul helicopter she appeared a little nervous. `` Well, the size of the crowd really is scary. I do not know whether I would be speaking well...'', she muttered to her nephew who was accompanying her. Mr Khanna allayed her fears. But as she climbed the dais at Amethi to a thunderous applause, she looked happy. And as both Amita Singh and Vinod Khanna introduced her to the crowds, slogans of ``Basanti Zindabad ... Hema Malini Zindabad'' rent the air prompting her to break into a hearty laugh. ``Mera apse anurodh hai ki BJP ko jitaye (I urge you to make the BJP victorious), ''she said as she reminded them that the symbol of the party was lotus which represented Goddess Laxmi. Youngsters, including school children who had bunked their classes, flocked to the see the film star both at the Ram Lila ground in Jagdishpur and the SP Inter College at Amethi. The enthusiastic crowd responded to her infectious smile while the women folk clapped vigorously at every word she uttered. Such was her appeal, that policemen and party workers who were obstructing the view were abused, heckled and forced to leave the stage. Speaking to The Times of India News Service, Hema Malini ruled out any possibility of joining politics but said if offered a Rajya Sabha nomination by the BJP, she would give it a serious thought. `` Yes, I would take it if offered so that I can promote dance, '' she quipped. In his spirited speech the macho hero of the seventies, Vinod Khanna spoke as a seasoned politician. Taking pot shots at the Congress and its president Sonia Gandhi, he said the Congress had no right to seek votes once they had failed to even provide potable water to the villages. ``I am seeking a mandate for five years...if we do not deliver, give us the boot,'' he said. Calling Sanjay Singh a close friend, he urged the people of Amethi to reject Ms Gandhi as their candidate. On popular demand, he concluded his speech with a dialogue from his film, Mera Gaon Mera Desh where he played a dreaded dacoit.
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