BJP led National Democratic Alliance organized a grand rally in Punjab’s Ludhiana today. Rally started on time at 1:00 pm. Almost all leaders had arrived at that time but Karnataka Chief Minister Yedurappa, Hariyana’s Om Prakash Chautala and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi were not there.

Starting from 1:00 pm, almost all Indian TV news channels in one voice took up this issue and started showing news and commentary about absence of Narendra Modi on the stage. Within some minutes, Karnataka’s Chief Minister Yedurappa arrived but Modi and Chautala were still absent.

News Channels flashed big headlines about Narendra Modi’s absence. They started asking BJP leaders why Narendra Modi was not there. Flashing headlines were shown like Narendra Modi would not arrive at all in this rally. BJP leaders responded that Modi would arrive shortly but channels continued to play the issue showing that as Nitish Kumar was on NDA’s stage, Narendra Modi was absent and possibly would remain absent.

Within some 15 to 20 minutes, at around 1:20, just 20 minute late than official starting time, Shri Narendra Modi arrived on the stage . Chorus of TV channels immediately deserted Modi’s non-arrival story replacing it with Modi’s arrival story. The story about Modi shaking hand with Nitish Kumar followed. Media enlarged Nitish-Modi milan like Saddam Hussain and George Bush or Modi and Sonia Gandhi or Osama Bin Laden and Mahatma Gandhi shaking their hands!

Day before the rally, media had started making stories around Nitish Kumar’s presence in NDA rally. Media highlighted such stories making an issue of Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar sharing same stage. Before the rally started, media even showed five-seat-distance between Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi’s name plated chairs on the stage and tried to weave story around it with graphics!

When Modi arrived on the stage, he shacked hand with Nitish Kumar who was sitting on the stage between BJP President Rajnath Singh and leader Sishma Swaraj. Modi and Nitish posed a photograph with raised join hands and talked something briefly with smiles. Modi then bowed down Advaniji and Parkashsinh Badal and took his position between Balbir Punj and Yedurappa. Within five minutes, Modi replaced Balbir Punj and sat with Parkash Sinh Badal who was sitting next to the central seat occupied by Advani. Media could perhaps showed this with graphics that Modi was one seat nearer to Nitish Kumar now! After some minutes when Chautala arrived, Balbir Punj vacated his seat again and Chautala sat with Modi. So you think Modi must be tired after addressing around 300 rallies across the nation in recent days? No way, Modi was looking like a racing car on top gear. He was talking with Yeddi, Badal, Advani and Balbir Punj frequently wish smiles and laughter too.

Wearing a saffron Kurta, Narendra Modi requested leaders on the stage to let him speak early because he had to go to address already scheduled rallies in Western Uttar Pradesh. Senior leaders permitted Modi to speak earlier and Modi delivered his speech at 2:05.

Thanks God, media didn’t make a story out of Modi’s early exit from the stage.