Arvind Kejriwal at the dhaba in Kutch
As the blazing sun scorched the highways of the Kutch, Arvind Kejriwal's car stopped by at a road side dhaba. The weather was very dry, we had hardly eaten anything since morning and everyone took the opportunity to freshen up.
"Ek kadak chai milegi?" Kejriwal asked the man at the cash counter as he entered the dhaba. He seemed like the owner, and immediately broke into smile and stretched his hand for the once-in-a-life time handshake with his celebrity-patron.
Kejriwal sat on a table and journalists took the opportunity to have a quick informal chat.
As the tea cups came in, someone cheekily asked: "Chai pe charcha?" Not many heard it but those who did burst into peals of laughter.
In the past two days Kejriwal has travelled 1,000 kms across several districts of Gujarat. It's hardly possible for anyone to objectively judge Narendra Modi's 12-year regime and indict him of being "anti-aam aadmi/poor/farmer/fishermen" in just two days. That too only based on unchallenged declarations made by individual citizens.
A fair analysis would take several weeks to really determine how Modi has fared. Arvind - an activist - would know. But it's election time. Kejriwal is only making a political statement coloured with rhetoric. Fair enough.
Who among the two would emerge as the taller leader after May 16? Would someone be King or the other King-maker? We wait and watch.
But hopefully someday Kutch can enjoy Arvind and NaMo's Charcha over Chai right here in Gujarat.