Five-hour wait for Jaya Prada, then disappointment

ALIGARH: Star Rashtriya Lok Dal campaigner and veteran actress Jaya Prada, who is also contesting from Bijnore in the Lok Sabha elections, left many supporters disappointed at Mursan, where she was to campaign for party colleague contesting from Hathras, Niranjan Singh Dhangar.
Excited by the chance of getting a glimpse of the actress, villagers gathered early at the college where the rally was scheduled to be held.
To get a front-seat view of the star, many found themselves seats early in the morning, and made frequent enquiries as they waited for Jaya Prada, who was to arrive by 7 am.
"Jayaji 10 minute mein hamare beech mein hongi (Jaya will be with us in just 10 minutes)," they were told, repeatedly.
Those 10 minutes, however, stretched to hours, and the first half of the day was spent waiting in scorching sun. Some politicians tried to engage the crowd with speeches, and Rasiya singers sang folk songs to keep boredom at bay.
More than five hours later, Jayant Chaudhury, son of party chief Ajit Singh and candidate from Mathura, arrived alone to address the crowd.
"Jayaji has been busy since morning. She conducted a road show in Mathura. She had all the plans to come, but couldn't," a party worker explained to the sullen crowd.
Rajesh Tomar said he had arrived with his family from Kareel, 8 km away. "I left a lot of my work back home to see Jaya Prada. I am disappointed. This is the time when we are busy with the wheat crop. Every day is important. We left all that to see her. Next time, catch me wasting my time like this, in hot sun!"
Around 110 people had come for the rally from Tomar's village, many traveling in tractors. When they realized that they would not get to see Jaya Prada, after all, many left in disgust.
Sanjay Chauhan, a student from the same village said party workers had made announcements that Jaya Prada would arrive by 7:00 am. "Then they told us she would be here by 10 am. We rushed to grab front seats, and now, that is so much time wasted. Yeh neta log bhi kya kya karte hain!" he said.