The Hindu : New Delhi News : More to battle of ballot than meets the eye

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 05, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

More to battle of ballot than meets the eye

By Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI, MAY 4. The heat is on and the weak do not have a chance. Battling sweat and dust, life clearly is all about survival of the fittest for the 129 candidates in the race now for election to the seven Lok Sabha seats from the Capital.

Judging by the election schedule of any of the Delhi candidates -- from 76-year-old Jagmohan to 28-year-old Smriti Irani -- it has been a rather gruelling fortnight for them all, surviving as they have been on less than three hours of sleep, irregular meals and battling very high levels of stress. And while none of the well-known faces in the running is known to suffer from any life-threatening disease, almost all of them have been under the weather this past week.

A self-proclaimed lover of good food and good life, Kapil Sibal of the Congress is down with fever and acute cold. The 55-year-old Supreme Court lawyer, who is contesting the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, follows no exercise regime and is hoping that his daily dose of eight-hour padyatra in search of voters and votes will help him shed those extra kilos.

Also down recently was Smirti Irani of the Bharatiya Janata Party, in the running for the Chandni Chowk seat. She has had her round of viral fever and food poisoning, all attributed to her recent campaign schedule. "I have never bothered about my diet and I have my weight to prove that. As for keeping stress at bay, I ensure that I keep myself hassle-free as much as possible. I have fallen ill during campaigning, but ensured that nothing keeps me off my work,'' says she.

Yet another contestant who has not exactly been in the pink of health is Krishna Tirath of the Congress, the candidate from Karol Bagh. She was recently down with fever and a bad throat. A keen sportsperson, Ms. Tirath claims that "a bit of yoga, simple food and the support of my family keeps me fit''.

Battling a weight problem, 42-year-old Anita Arya of the BJP, also in the field from Karol Bagh, is hoping to win more than just votes through her daily padyatras. She too has had her round of fever and fatigue attacks. "I rarely get to sleep more than three hours and though I miss my morning walks, my schedule makes up for it. However, during campaigning I carry boiled water from home.''

Among the other candidates, Vijay Goel of the BJP and Sajjan Kumar and R.K. Anand of the Congress believe in yoga and simple food. In fact, Mr. Anand likes a good game of golf, while Sahib Singh Verma of the BJP prefers "natural'' food. Ajay Maken of the Congress, who has cut down his weight through disciplined eating and exercise, is among the most health-conscious contestants in the running this time round. He never misses a regular medical check-up.

But it is clearly Jagmohan of the BJP who takes the cake. A combination of yoga, simple food, a lot of reading and daily walks keep him looking sharp. "I have had a tough schedule, but I am interested in what I am doing and that keeps me on my toes,'' explains the Grand Old Man of New Delhi.

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