When Bengaluru gave Vajpayee ‘rebirth’

BENGALURU: The influence former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee wielded on politics in Bengaluru began during the Emergency. Along with L K Advani, Vajpayee was instrumental in fielding Justice K S Hegde as the Janata Party candidate from Bangalore South in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections.

It was the first general election after Emergency and Congress was decimated in North India. But the party kept its grip on the South. Bangalore South was one of only two seats the Janata Party won from Karnataka (the other was Hassan).

A political novice, Justice Hegde trounced stalwart Kengal Hanumanthaiah largely due to Vajapayee's oratory skills and his magnet-like power in drawing crowds. He addressed a number of rallies at the National College Ground.

“My father was at first reluctant to contest elections since he was a retired Supreme Court judge,” said former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde, reminiscing his father's close relationship with Vajpayee. “He felt he should not be in active politics. But, Vajpayee and Advani convinced him. Vajpayee's campaign speeches were the main reason for my father’s victory."

Justice Hegde’s win was a watershed moment for Bangalore South. Ever since, the Lok Sabha seat has been a stronghold of non-Congress parties, barring the 1989 elections when the party fielded former chief minister R Gundurao and won.

Bengaluru gave Vajpayee a second lease of life of sorts, thanks to a strange turn of events in 1975. During the Emergency, Vajpayee was imprisoned in Central Jail along with many other top leaders including Advani, Shamanandan Misra and Madhu Dandavate.

While Advani, Misra and Dandavate were released, re-arrested and shifted to a jail in Punjab, the Karnataka high court ordered Vajpayee to be kept in Bengaluru on health grounds. Vajpayee had complained of stomach ache and doctors at Victoria Hospital wrongly diagnosed appendicitis and even conducted a surgery.

“It was a blunder which left him critical. He was shifted to AIIMS and he survived after a struggle," said retired Justice Rama Jois, who appeared for Vajpayee and Advani in the high court. "He used to say that he got re-birth in Bengaluru.”

Both Vajpayee and Advani were arrested in the city during Emergency and they spent their time in jail learning Kannada.

Justice Jois, who used to translate Vajpayee’s public speeches to Kannada, said his speeches were so popular that people would arrive at 2pm for an event scheduled at 6pm.

Justice Jois admits it was difficult at times to translate his speeches. "It was impossible to retain the beauty when translated,” he said. “There were instances when I struggled to find appropriate words in Kannada.”

Vajpayee always found a way to connect with his audience. During a visit to Siddaganga Mutt, he said: "Uttar mein Ganga hai, Dakshin mein Siddaganga hai." And during a public meeting in Gangavathi, he said: "Gangavathi, yeh jo shehar hai, udham Ganga behathi hai." A colleague sought to correct him saying there was no Ganga river in Gangavathi. Vajpayee retorted: "Mujhe maloom hai ki Idhar paise behathe hai Ganga jaise," in appreciation of the paddy cultivation in the region.


SCOOTER TRIP FROM AIRPORT
In some instances in the 1970s, Vajpayee was ferried on a scooter from the HAL Airport to the National College Ground. "He was the epitome of simplicity,” said state BJP leader and former minister S Suresh Kumar. “It was so easy for us to escort him from the airport since all it needed was a two-wheeler. This simplicity was seen even when he was Prime Minister. Exceptions were made only when he had to adhere to protocol."