The Rediff Election Campaign Trail

• 'I think very many people are in for a surprise in Amethi'
• Rae Bareili: The Gandhi family retainer fights to redeem Rae Bareili
• Pilibhit: Dog day afternoon in Pilibhit
• Agra'Who will you vote for if Vajpayee is set to lose by one vote?'
• Bhopal will be no pushover for the sultry sanyasin
• Caste is supreme in Bapatla
• Royalty, TDP lose sheen in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram
• Dausa: 'I have heard Chandra Swami is doing a havan so that I will be defeated!'
• Somanahalli: Will the Gods of Somanahalli smile on S M Krishna?
• Hassan: Deve Gowda finds Hassan is no pushover
• Tirupati: Tough fights for Chittoor, Tirupati seats
• Deve Gowda Hubli se kyon darte hain?
• Undaunted by the odds, a Marxist-Leninist rebel challenges the BJP & Congress in Jaipur
• Naidu turns his constituency into island of prosperity:Kuppam
• 'I told Indiraji, we would return their soldiers and land; in return, they would return PoK to us and accept that Kashmir was an integral part of India'
• Maran appears home and dry in Madras Central
• 'Twinkle twinkle little star, Jeevaraj Alva superstar'
• In Khetloi, the nuclear tests have a negative fallout for the BJP
In the village most affected by the Pokhran tests, the anger against the party is only 16 months old. Ignited in May last year, it is still burning -- and burning bright.
• Pawar play
• Death and the maiden
• Despite the odds, backward Bellary may back Sonia
• "Today there are many divisions but after the elections we must be one family.
• In the killing fields of Rayalseema, fear dominates the election scene
'What would be the state of our country if there was a war? He protected us'
During the Kargil conflict, fearing war, the villagers on this border had taken their goats, cows, camels and everything previous, and walked all the way to Gujarat. It's only a fortnight since they returned.

'Before, there was no water, no electricity, no school. Now, all three are there, but they are not sufficient'
The home minister gets the rough end of the stick, thanks to misgovernance by his party in Gujarat.

The reporter makes news now
A journalist for the past nine years, a captain in the Territorial Army, and now the BJP's candidate in Barmer, Manvendra Singh, son of Jaswant Singh, has come a long way. But even by his own admission, it's a tough contest against twice-MP Colonel Sonaram Chaudhary of the Congress.

Jaffer Sharief and his Mitsubishi motorcade
Apart from the open top, Sharief's mini bus has extremely comfortable, plush seats, with mini fans attached, and an ante chamber, whose door swung open to reveal a sinfully luxurious bed and pillows. Another small cabin houses a tiny bathroom.

'There have been no conversions for the last two, three months'
On the Campaign Trail in Dangs, Gujarat.

• 'He was finance minister for five years, did he say a word about the crimes committed against the Sikhs ?'

'My government is facing many challenges. But with your support I am sure we can sail through'
Dr Farooq Abdullah and his son, the NC candidate from Srinagar, Omar Farooq on a whistlestop tour of the constituency that demonstrates the Qaid-Sani's continuing rapport with the people"

After four wins, Chidambaram is on a sticky wicket in Sivaganga
The former finance minister has won the seat four times before, but always in alliance with one or the other of the Dravidian parties. This time he is standing in alliance with the Puthiya Tamilagam. Victory looks difficult.

'There are no constituents coming up to say, But you never did this or that'
On the Campaign Trail with Aviation Minister Ananth Kumar.