Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate from Jalna for the Lok Sabha election, Vijay Anna Borade, is beginning to realise that being politically savvy is better grist to the election mill than a generous helping of good old conventional wisdom.

A progressive farmer from Marathwada, one of the most backward regions of the state, Borade decided the only way he could make a difference to his fellow farmers would be by throwing his pagadi into the election ring. Bit it seems his trial by fire has already begun. Detractors, whose propaganda brigade has been working overtime, have been asking: ``Will the hands that till the soil be able to do some mud-slinging against rival leaders?''

Borade, though, is more comfortable talking about methods to contain bollworm attacks on cotton rather keeping score with his political opponents. Asked about the bollworms in politics, Borade merely returns a coy smile. No wonder NCP stalwart here, Ankushrao Tope, has launched anextensive damage-control exercise. He says Borade's supporters should assume it is not Borade but he who is contesting the election.

Pity that in a predominantly agricultural country, where politicians are accused of being agriculturally illiterate, the converse should be a stumbling block en route to the Lok Sabha.

In And Out, In A Jiffy

Aspirants to the Nanded Lok Sabha seat have a strange history of upsets. In the 1995 election, when the Congress declared Gangadhar Kunturkar as its nominee, former Union Home Minister S B Chavan got the decision reversed in order to get Kunturkar replaced by his own son-in-law, Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar.

This year, the BJP aspirant, Sambhaji Pawar, has taken the fall. Pawar, who recently received a telephone call from his party office in New Delhi saying he had been nominated to contest, was ecstatic. Anxious to confirm his candidature, Pawar called the BJP's Mumbai office, which told him his `B' form, the official party endorsement document, was on itsway.

Thus the celebrations began and the town was in a ferment. But Pawar's jubilation was short-lived. On Sunday, he was told that it was Dr Dhanaji Deshmukh-Pawar and not Shambaji Pawar who had been nominated to contest. The party's election cell had got the names mixed up!

Eat Those Words!

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Haribahu Bagade was more of an embarrassment to his party than an asset at a recent press conference here.

Asked why his government had failed to stop anti-corruption crusader, Anna Hazare's protest in its initial stages, Bagade placed the blame squarely on the samajwadis (socialists) surrounding Hazare. So far so good. But enthusiasm soon got the better of him.

The veteran minister soon unleashed a tirade on how the socialists had created problems for everyone on petty issues. Straying in to dangerous territory now, he mentioned veteran activist-journalist Anant Bhalerao and how he was often placed behind bars for his writings.

Before matters couldget out of hand, Deputy Chief Minister, Gopinath Munde, intervened, reminding Bagade this was election time and that he had better restrain himself. But Bagade would have none of it. Which is why Munde had to hastily declare that the minister's words were ``off the record''.

Even that did not stop Bagade, who said he always spoke the truth and fearlessly at that.

Munde was to later remind the minister of how Bhalerao had recommended his (Munde's) name to the party high command while he was still an up-coming leader. Some food for thought, Mr Bagade?