Bhubaneshwar, Apr 02: There are a lot of things about mass psychology that the media can learn from politicians. One elementary lesson given to me some years ago by Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik has stood me in good stead. "If they are waving and smiling," he told me, "then you are on course. If they look sullen, it is time to worry." To this, I would add one additional feature of thumbnail psephology. Observe the behaviour of children carefully. The party they cheer is invariably the party that has the support in the village or the locality. Travelling through Gujarat on the Bharat Uday Yatra, what is striking is the warm reception given to L K Advani by school-children, some still in their uniform, and the village kids. The BJP has dominated Gujarat since 1991. In more than a decade, the party has become a part of the common sense of Gujarat, the same way as the CPI (M) has become in West Bengal. Fighting an election on the strength of this formidable base may sound easy but sustaining the support calls for deft political improvisation. Polls suggest that the popularity of Atal Bihari Vajpayee is sky-high in Gujarat. Advani, too, has a rating significantly higher than the national average. But what really complements the national leadership is the incredible appeal of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Modi is an inveterate politico. He lives, dreams and breathes politics. His actions may often seem impulsive but they are carefully thought out and even rehearsed. He is constantly innovating and coming up with new approaches and honing in on the one that clicks. On the surface, the Modi campaign is all about sharp and visceral attacks on the foreign lady. No doubt that keeps the crowds entertained. But there is something more substantial. Modi is on the verge of transforming the Lok Sabha contest into a near-referendum on Narmada. Narmada is Modi's own feel-good. He has made the raising of the height of the Sardar Sarovar Dam his pet theme. Narmada has become his signature tune. It is the recurrent theme of every speech he makes and Advani supplements it with selling Vajpayee's second dream - the inter-linking of rivers. Two years ago, Modi was berated for injecting divisiveness into Gujarat. Now, he is playing the development and good governance card to the hilt. Of course, the media hostility will not cease because once demonised, he will always be demonised. But on the ground, Modi is the leader for all seasons. He is the man to watch.