But far away from the capital, in small bazaars, villages or towns with just a few thousand people, there is still that live wire sensation you get as you try and strike up a conversation. Once the fact that you are a “press reporter” is established, even in the dry heat of a late afternoon, the crowd slowly swells, each person giving his take on the definitive truth about UP and what would happen and yet never revealing who they would vote for. They try and play the independent observer, eager to help you understand their land.

Waiting with a group of proud old Congressmen for their ummedwaarji (candidate) opposite a masjid in Ghazipur’s main market, the conversation strays into realism much more frequently that you would expect it to. The supporters speak of the distance that had crept in between them and the party leadership over years. But they add, “Ab hum hain naa, yahan hain, Rahulji bhi aayenge yahan shaayad 28 ko, aur tab bahut fark padega (But we are here now. Rahulji will probably come here on April 28 and then things will be different).”

‘Addas’ are places to look for wisdom. Says Mahendra, an aggressive BJP backer whom we met at a chai stall, about his party; “Bhavnaatmank sawaalon ka jab rajnitik jawaab dhoondha jaata hai, then there will be problems. Now that very approach is creating problems for the party I support. They are suddenly wishy-washy about upper castes after creating initial expectations of being committed to them and Hindus.”

... contd.