Congress leaders warm up to hold a ‘chai pe charcha’
is a usual day at Gulabji Chaiwale, the famous tea stall on MI Road in Jaipur, on Thursday. It is 7.30am and there are about 50 people at the stall. People on their morning walk, tourists from nearby hotels, students from nearby hostels, professionals and others are at the teal stall, which opens at 4.30am every day.
Around 8am, Congress Jaipur district president Pratap Singh Khachariwas reaches Gulabji Chaiwale to interact with people who were having tea and snacks. He sat among people, talking with them over a ‘chai’ about the forthcoming assembly elections and appealed to vote for the Congress.
Khachariwas said, “Thadis (roadside tea stalls) are the happening place in Jaipur and I want to wake people up and tell them the truth about the BJP government’s corruption, arrogance, dictatorship, misgovernance and injustice and ask them to vote after thinking twice.”
He said the BJP government wants to fight election on publicity material, but Congress will fight elections on real issues, will tell people what the BJP promised and what they actually did.
“No work has taken place, MLAs and MPs are far away from people, there have been lot of scams such as mine scam, PHED scam etc. The roads are in bad condition even in the VIP area of Civil Lines constituency. People should decide who to vote for,” he told people while sipping tea and having bun-butter.
Middle-aged to elderly people joined the conversation with Khachariawas while youngsters were seen at a distance. Later the Congress leader went and sat with the young crowd for few minutes but they seemed disenchanted about the election discussion.
Radhey Shyam (62) said: “This time again people will change the government, as we have seen giving huge mandate is detrimental to us.”
Ajay Katta (24), a professional, said: “It is all a formality. We know who to vote for.” Gulshan Kapoor (28), who works with a private firm, said: “With elections round the corner, such events are very common. Suddenly, leaders start interacting with people, as if they are very close to them.”
Abhishek Upadhyaya (19), a student, said: “Chai par Charcha will make no difference to any party, as people can see who works and who don’t.” Vatsala Srivastava (37), a professional, said: “People can see the candidate who works and who just makes promises. People can see demonetisation, hike in petrol prices, inflation etc. and will take their decision accordingly.”
Khachariwas said, “From today for the next few days, I will meet people on ‘Chai par Charcha’ at various places in the city. Today also, I will meet people at Sahu Restaurant in walled city in the afternoon.”
BJP spokesperson Mukesh Pareek said the Congress started going to people as the elections are near. “It would have been better if they were among people during these five years and raised their problems. It is all show off and the Congress is making efforts to copy the BJP,” he said.
JAIPUR:It