April 7: The journey would have taken a tourist three hours. But for Jaswant Singh the ride from Bagdogra airport this morning to Darjeeling took nine.

From late morning through the evening, the BJP leader’s cavalcade of around 200 cars crawled up the 80km road, with 40 stopovers in between. Singh’s car entered Darjeeling around 8pm. He had started from Bagdogra at 11am.

People lining the route shouted slogans for a “Gorkhaland state”. Some were able to greet their candidate, “Jaswantji”, others waited for an opportunity to garland him.

The BJP leader was “overwhelmed” and said as much when his convoy halted on Hill Cart Road at Kurseong. “This is the most humbling and greatest experience in my 43 years in politics. I’m totally overwhelmed.”

He was only halfway to Darjeeling.

Accompanied by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri and other party leaders, Singh stopped virtually every 10 minutes, rolled down the window of his car and spoke to people. Morcha supporters had erected daises in a host of small towns lining Singh’s route.

In one place, Morcha supporters had placed a huge puppet in an army uniform — Singh was in the army — complete with boots and a Gorkha topi. Across the puppet’s chest were the words: “Singh is king”.

Wherever Singh stopped, loudspeakers blared songs on Gorkhaland.

The longest stop for the BJP leader was at Kurseong, for a 40-minute lunch at a tourist lodge.

Before setting off post-lunch, Singh told the crowds what they were waiting to hear. “Jai Gorkhali, Gorkhaland huncha, huncha (Gorkhaland will be a reality),” he shouted.

When Singh reached his hotel in Darjeeling, Morcha president Bimal Gurung was waiting for him. “Since we have a leader of his stature now, we will ensure he emerges victorious,” Gurung said.

Singh said: “I have nothing to take from Darjeeling; I am here only to give. The desert is where I was born, and now this will be my karmabhoomi.”