Flying Shoe Flies High

Home Minister Home Minister P Chidambaram, BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and industrialist Naveen Jindal, all of whom had shoes hurled at them, won their seats. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did not run for election as he is a member of the Rajya Sabha, but his coalition was victorious in the elections and Singh has been reappointed as prime minister. Likewise, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, who was targeted by a flying shoe at an election meeting in Hassan, did not run in the election, but his son B Y Raghavendra prevailed as well.

The shoe became a novel form of political protest during this year’s election cycle, taking a cue from an Iraqi journalist who shot to international fame after he hurled a shoe at then U.S. Pres. George W. Bush.