In it, even if they don’t make it

Amarjot Kaur
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 18

The 36 candidates in the city’s nail-biting electoral battle have hung tough to carve the fate of their political career. Not only has the city recorded the highest number of women contenders but also the highest number of candidates this year. While four of them belong to national parties, 13 are contesting independently and the remaining are associated with smaller political parties.

Though political pundits have limited the scope of the election battlefield to the AAP, the BJP, the Congress and the BSP, independent and smaller party candidates feel they may still stand a chance to make a change. All of these candidates have made a security deposit of Rs 25,000, which will be refunded only if they are able to garner 1/6th of the total valid votes. With their money and reputation at stake, we meet the lesser-known poll warriors.

Contesting independently, a former AAP man, Boota Singh, 68, says: “I have full chances of winning. Rather I stood up for winning the elections. I have appealed to vote for the city, rather than national party candidates who are mere dummy faces of the parties. It’s time residents realised that the city is not on the charts of national parties and have been ignored since a long time with unkept promises. During my campaigns, I have seen resentment among people who have been voting for meaningless manifestos. Despite their numerous appeals to the elected representatives, the residents were deprived of their basic rights.”

For 58-year-old Mukesh Pachara, who’s contesting from the Ambedkar National Congress and is stationed in Meerut, a ray of hope comes from colony dwellers.

“Our party headquarters are in Hyderabad. This is the first time we are electioneering from Chandigarh. I have been campaigning for the past 5 months now and I feel we have tapped into needs and wants of 60 to 70 per cent colony dwellers, assuring them social equality. There should be a change and even if I don’t win this time, I will still work with and for the people of the city. I hope to win though,” he shares.

Devi Sirohi, 66, independent candidate, too is confident about her win. “I will be able to get 1.5 to 1.6 lakh votes from colonies and sectors. With 36 candidates, more votes will be divvyed up between people. I won’t regret and will continue to pay back society even if I lose,” she says.

Nawab Ali, a 44-year candidate from Rashtriya Lokswaraj Party, adds: “Just like a farmer, I am sowing the seeds of change. Now, one is unsure of the weather, but I do feel the winds of change blowing and I am glad that I represent that change.”

This is the first time the Haryana-based party has fielded a candidate from Chandigarh. Jyoti, 46, from the Akhil Bharatiya Apna Dal, says: “Our party may be small, but we have made a huge space in the hearts of people here. Even if I lose the elections, I won’t lose heart because people have shown faith in me and we’ve got a good response.”

The 36 candidates in the city’s nail-biting electoral battle have hung tough to carve the fate of their political career. Not only has the city recorded the highest number of women contenders but also the highest number of candidates this year. While four of them belong to national parties, 13 are contesting independently and the remaining are associated with smaller political parties.

Though political pundits have limited the scope of the election battlefield to the AAP, the BJP, the Congress and the BSP, independent and smaller party candidates feel they may still stand a chance to make a change. All of these candidates have made a security deposit of Rs 25,000, which will be refunded only if they are able to garner 1/6th of the total valid votes. With their money and reputation at stake, we meet the lesser-known poll warriors.

Contesting independently, a former AAP man, Boota Singh, 68, says: “I have full chances of winning. Rather I stood up for winning the elections. I have appealed to vote for the city, rather than national party candidates who are mere dummy faces of the parties. It’s time residents realised that the city is not on the charts of national parties and have been ignored since a long time with unkept promises. During my campaigns, I have seen resentment among people who have been voting for meaningless manifestos. Despite their numerous appeals to the elected representatives, the residents were deprived of their basic rights.”

For 58-year-old Mukesh Pachara, who’s contesting from the Ambedkar National Congress and is stationed in Meerut, a ray of hope comes from colony dwellers.

“Our party headquarters are in Hyderabad. This is the first time we are electioneering from Chandigarh. I have been campaigning for the past 5 months now and I feel we have tapped into needs and wants of 60 to 70 per cent colony dwellers, assuring them social equality. There should be a change and even if I don’t win this time, I will still work with and for the people of the city. I hope to win though,” he shares.

Devi Sirohi, 66, independent candidate, too is confident about her win. “I will be able to get 1.5 to 1.6 lakh votes from colonies and sectors. With 36 candidates, more votes will be divvyed up between people. I won’t regret and will continue to pay back society even if I lose,” she says.

Nawab Ali, a 44-year candidate from Rashtriya Lokswaraj Party, adds: “Just like a farmer, I am sowing the seeds of change. Now, one is unsure of the weather, but I do feel the winds of change blowing and I am glad that I represent that change.”

This is the first time the Haryana-based party has fielded a candidate from Chandigarh. Jyoti, 46, from the Akhil Bharatiya Apna Dal, says: “Our party may be small, but we have made a huge space in the hearts of people here. Even if I lose the elections, I won’t lose heart because people have shown faith in me and we’ve got a good response.”