Nainital, Sept. 21 :     It is a battle between the stalwart and the star. And it has enough firepower to leave the hills sizzling. Narain Dutt Tiwari, the grand old man of Nainital, has donned the battle gear yet again, saying, as always, that this is the last time. Pitted against him is the Bahujan Samaj Party?s Naina Balsaver, former Miss India and the glamorous wife of Akbar Ahmed ?Dumpy??. Since 1991, Tiwari has been asking for votes, playing the sentimental card that he would not contest again. Defeat after defeat has not unnerved him, he returns every time to take one last shot at the constituency he calls his own. Though the anti-BJP wave in the hills of Uttar Pradesh has given ?Panditji? the edge, he knows only too well that Nainital can spring surprises. Like in 1991, when a loss here possibly cost Tiwari the prime ministership. The grand old man still nourishes hopes of occupying 7 Race Course Road and even goes to the extent of making politically incorrect statements like ??The Prime Minister will ultimately be chosen by all Congress MPs.? Standing between Tiwari and Parliament is Naina, a novice in politics, but one who is capable of causing an upset. Decked in gorgeous chiffons, her frenetic campaigning has set alarm bells ringing in the Congress camp. Her husband is the sitting MP from Azamgarh, but owns two farm houses in Nainital. He is the local ?bhaiya??, and Naina is Nainital?s ?bhabi??, a title she uses to good effect. ?Look at the closed factories, the lack of jobs and employment. What kind of development is N.D. Tiwari talking about? I am not at all intimidated by Tiwari the stalwart. I?m angry because nothing has been done for the constituency all these years. If the crowds at my rallies are an indication, he might be in for a surprise,? she thunders. The Samajwadi Party has fielded Muzaffar Ali, of Umrao Jaan fame ? he lost to Vajpayee in Lucknow last time ? to take on Tiwari. Balraj Pasi of the BJP is the other bit player on the battlefield. Ali, who has taken time off from making a ?human story? on Kargil, has added to the glamour content. Actress Tabu, who stars in his Kargil film, has promised to come and campaign. For Tiwari, this is a make or break battle and it shows once he hits the roads. He starts around eight in the morning, travels though villages and block headquarters and addresses countless street-corner meetings. Everywhere, he implores voters to cast one last vote for him. ?This my last and final election. You have given me so much love and affection. Let your vote be your farewell gift to me,?? he says. But not many are convinced. ?Four farewells since 1991. The people of the constituency will not listen to Tiwari crying wolf,?? retorts Naina. Tiwari?s self-proclaimed trump card is his past and he never lets the constituency forget that. ??When I was finance minister, my budget speech was praised by the world. I am not saying it, but the people of the country called me a visionary and a person fit to lead the nation,?? he says. Though the Congress has done little here, the party is likely to gain from the anti-BJP sentiment sweeping through the hills. From the taxi driver at Katgodam to a small-time businessman in Nainital, the common refrain is the misgovernance of the Kalyan Singh regime. Says Ashok Kanwal, a cosmetics trader: ??The price rise is a major factor. The hill people live on potatoes and onions. The economy collapsed when prices of these two commodities shot up. It is a serious issue.? Kanwal, who also doubles up as a BJP worker, has been asked to campaign in some blocks. ?It is difficult for me to go and explain that during the Kargil war, prices did not shoot up and we won a great victory and received international praise. I am asked ?what about potatoes and onions?, and I have no answer,?? he says. Jeolikote, midway between the foothills of Haldwani and Nainital, is a regular halt for buses and taxis. Conversations here centre around the elections. And they are a pointer to the prevailing mood. ?Uttarakhand is a dead issue. Even Kargil is. We were on the verge of closing down our dhabas when prices shot up. I voted for the BJP last time thinking Vajpayee would make a good Prime Minister. But I am switching back to the Congress,?? says C.P. Bhat, a dhaba owner. The anger resonates across the Terai foothills, a crucial region as it includes four Assembly segments of Nainital ? Khatima, Haldwani, Kashipur, and Baheri. This is where the contest between Tiwari and Naina will be the fiercest as both are battling for the anti-BJP votes. Sikhs, Dalits, Muslims and the OBCs have vowed to defeat the BJP. Uttarkahand is an issue here. The Sikhs want to punish the BJP for reneging on its promise to keep the Terai foothills out of the proposed state.