Block Vote

 Tamil Nadu's voters may be a psephologist's nightmare. But they can't be accused of not voting decisively. In '67, it was an assertion of regional pride. In '71, it was Indira's twin achievements: banks' nationalisation and the creation of Bangladesh. They dumped the Janata in '77 and paved the way for Indira's return in '80. Her killing and mgr's illness marked the '84 verdict. In '89 it was an anti-National Front vote and '91 was the vote against Rajiv's killing. It was a vote against Jaya in '96 and one for stability at the Centre in '98. Will they vote en masse again?

If Priyanka Vadra Gandhi were to take on Atal Behari Vajpayee? Forget all others, this is the Big One the whole country's waiting for. The septuagenarian bachelor with over 40 years of public life to his credit and the twenty-something damsel with a political lineage to put any other in the country to shame. Banish the thought of any dirty talk in the Battle for Lucknow, however. For, the chivalrous Vajpayee would ensure that the city remained out of bounds for Chief Dirt Diggers Pramod Mahajan and George Fernandes. Beauty, grace and tehzeeb would be the buzzwords of this campaign. And after the wows and wah-wahs are over, Lucknavis, for once, would wish they could send two winners to Parliament.