BJP looks for inspiration in tents,have to combat snakes

A few leaders have left the tents citing illness,security and lack of facilities as reasons the 5000-odd common delegates are not so lucky. Unlike the VVIP tents that have all the comforts,the rest are modest.

“We sincerely want to give the message to delegates not to hanker only after city life and urban voters,and we think we have successful to some extent,’’ said a Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh.

The organizers had to combat the very potent threat of snakes slithering into tents by getting snake charmers and keeping them ready for any eventuality.

The artificial setting also includes vendors who sell anything from groundnuts to carrots to jaljira. Though they are dressed appropriately,the vendors with prominent identity badges don’t charge anything.

Battery operated vehicles ply guests from the entrance to tents and venues for deliberations. Cycles have also been provided for effect and leaders had cycled their way around the venue before the meet began.

There was a talk of getting cycles meant for women for a similar photo-op for the senior leaders belonging to fair sex. Women delegates have been accommodated in flats built on the township.

Though the party claimed that most of its guests have adjusted themselves in tents there was a tremendous pressure on the hotels in the state’s commercial capital,which boasts of more room than any other city. Maybe because of hundreds of security personnel who have poured into the city following the reported terror threat to Indore.

Some leaders reportedly booked hotel rooms in nearby Dewas and Ujjain should things go wrong in tents at nights.

The party had a tough time defending its decision to turn to tents from hotels that once characterized the party. Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar,however,maintained it was not a big issue because,”many of us have lived in tents from our RSS days.’’ He said twice in the past meets guests were accommodated in tents.

Javadekar said the talk that tents were luxurious and that hotel accommodation would have cost less does not hold any water. The tents have cost much less,he said. When told that VIP tents had ACs,he quipped,”it’s so cold inside that they should have heaters.”