Pradhan worked for 16 years as a regional director of Oxfam, the UK-based development and relief organization. He left Oxfam in 1992 to work full time in social work. These days he works with local voluntary organisations. "At least people in India's backward pockets are getting food. Nobody is dying of starvation."

But the social worker is not partial to the Bharatiya Janata Party, as such, because of its communal face he says, but only to Vajpayee. "It is not easy to keep hold of multiple political parties with different opinions. But Vajpayee is a wonder and why I will vote for him. He is a great leader."

What is his opinion of other BJP leaders like L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi or Congress leader Sonia Gandhi? "I would not like to make any comment about them."

Subhasree, Pradhan's eldest, will be voting for the first time. She agrees with her father. "I love Vajpayee because he speaks well and that impresses me," she said.

Has Vajpayee or his government made any differences to her life? "No, I do not feel so. But the overall [feel] of the country seems to be good," she says. Subhasree has just enrolled herself as a graduate student in college.

Pradhan's wife Indira, 41 is hesitant to cast her vote. "Why should I vote?" she asks. "Nothing seems to have changed around us. The poor are becoming poorer and the rich richer. But we do not have any alternative. But between Sonia Gandhi and Vajpayee, I prefer to vote for Vajpayee because he is better than [Sonia Gandhi]."

Jayshree has not become a voter yet. But that does not stop her from keeping track of political happenings across the country, either on television or through the newspapers. This future voter does feel Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin is an issue that matters to the country. "After all, she was born in Italy. How can we make her our prime minister?" she asks. "Can any Indian become prime minister in another foreign country?" .

Youngest sister Rajashree, 15, does not have much to say. "I do not have an opinion on all this, I [concentrate] on my studies."

The Jagdish family spoke to Giridhar Gopal in Bhanpur

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How We Will Vote

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