Raj polls:Om compared to Obama in village popularly known as America

Jaipur, Nov 21 (UNI) Far from the US, President-elect Barack Obama's name is being evoked in a village of Rajasthan to garner votes for a Congress candidate for the coming Assembly elections in the state.

Congress nominee Om Prakash Joshi is being compared to Senator Obama in Lordia village, which is popularly known as 'America,' in the Phalodi constituency of Jodhpur district.

Lordia is known as 'America' for several years due to an old belief prevalent among the residents there.

They believed that the word 'Lordia' is jinxed and if somebody utters it in the morning, his day would be marred by some bad incident.

Due to this belief, village residents decided to change its name several years ago and some of them suggested 'America'. Ever since the village is being known as America.

So much so that several people ask for a ticket to 'America' while travelling from Phalodi to Lordia in state roadways buses.

UNI MA AE RN1619