Consider this: On Wednesday morning, three days before the polls, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav took to the dais at a college ground, trying to din some Samajwadi sense into the masses.

His much-publicised talk, free for all as these things are, left nearby juice-vendors yawning -- there was no drumming up of sale as the gathering massed only about 400 people.

About four hours later, with the sun at its most molten, Congress president Sonia Gandhi took the stage. 20,000 came.

The juice-wallahs had to have been ecstatic.

Reportage: Raja Sen | Photographs: Uday Kuckian

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