MNS's man with a golden touch is an oddity in Pune polls

At any given time, 44-year-old Ramesh Wanjale, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate from Khadakwasla constituency in Pune, wears about 800 gm of gold on his body, estimated to be worth Rs12 lakh. The first time MNS chief Raj Thackeray saw him, he couldn't help but remark, "So much gold!"

Two thick gold chains, two conspicuous gold bracelets on his right wrist and eight bold rings define Wanjale's persona. For him, the gold on his body has far greater value than its market price, simply because it defines his personality. "I told Rajsaheb that it is my style statement and connects me instantly with my voters," Wanjale told DNA.

A farmer who became wealthy due to rising land prices in Pune's vicinity, Wanjale also owns a flourishing dairy business. As a Congressman, he represented the Pune Zilla Parishad and has been politically active for the last 15 years in village Ahire and the Haveli Panchayat Samiti. He is also president of the local Jai Ganesh Education Society.

Fond of gold ornaments since childhood, Wanjale has kept this passion alive and proclaims that he has declared his wealth officially. Speaking like a seasoned politician, he said, "I believe one's heart should also be pure like gold, hence my love for the precious metal."

People around him no longer have eye-popping reactions; they are now used to the sight of their "man in gold". "I can't discard my jewellery now because my voters and opponents will think that I have gone bankrupt and that I sold it to contest the polls," he said.

A former Congressman, Wanjale said he is passionate about social work and is inspired by the mythological story of Shravan, who cared for his old parents during their Kashi pilgrimage by carrying them in baskets on his shoulders. "I took inspiration from this story and have so far sponsored the pilgrimage of 30,000 elderly persons to Kashi."
 
Ironically, the MNS politician claims he does not believe in violent agitations and is a firm follower of Gandhian methods. "All agitations led by me are peaceful. I never indulge in rasta rokos because that inconveniences people," he said.

His forms of agitation (styled on Gandhigiri) have been attention-grabbers in the past: getting his supporters to polish the shoes of government functionaries to press for local demands, and releasing floating lamps in the Mutha River to protest against the power crisis in rural areas. Wanjale is also popular for reciting the hymns and couplets of Sant Tukaram.

The National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla is part of Wanjale's constituency, and the rehabilitation of displaced families from the Khadakwasla dam and the NDA are among his poll promises.