Rahul Sinha is BJP's candidate from Kolkata North constituency
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra created quite a buzz last month when she campaigned for three days in Uttar Pradesh, sailing down the Ganga on a boat.
The idea has now been borrowed by Bengal BJP leader and Kolkata North constituency candidate. Rahul Sinha set off on a boat up the river Hooghly to campaign for himself and for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Kolkata on Wednesday.
Asked imitation being the best form of flattery applied here, Rahul Sinha said, "No way! This has nothing to do with Priyanka Gandhi. We did this boat campaign when the prime minister was in Kolkata last. There is no question of stealing Priyanka Gandhi's idea. I think Priyanka ji has stolen ours."
There was a big difference. Priyanka Gandhi's was a proper sailing vessel, Rahul Sinha's a fragile little boat with a motorized engine. It looked risky. But Mr Sinha thumped his chest.
"If you don't take a risk, you are Congress, if you take a risk, you are BJP," he said, adding, "When our forces were attacked, Manmohan Singh didn't take a risk and tried talks over biriyani but Modiji took a risk and told the army to go bomb the terrorists in Pakistan. Life is about taking risks. A life without risks has no meaning."
With these grand words, Mr Sinha sailed off up the Hooghly with a boat full of brave media persons following closely. His destination, Baghbazar, an iconic ghat in the Kolkata north constituency for which Mr Sinha is fighting for the second time.
"I lost narrowly last time but with Ma Ganga's blessings and the people's, victory, people say, will be mine," said Mr Sinha. Trinamool's Sudip Bandopadhyay is the incumbent lawmaker.