NEW DELHI: It’s time for Delhi’s assembly election candidates to dump their Mercedes Benz and BMWs and ride on bicycles to pass through the narrow bylanes of colonies to reach the voters.
The multi-millionaire candidate of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kanwar Singh Tanwar, who is also the richest candidate fighting the assembly elections, rides his bicycle in Chhatarpur area in south Delhi to meet the voters.
Although a fleet of finely-maintained imported cars trail behind him with supporters carrying banners and shouting slogans in his favour, the problem starts the moment the cavalcade enters the bylanes of the semi-urban villages of Chhatarpur area.
Though people of the area are used to seeing him in expensive cars, they don’t mind the humble approach of their candidate.
“We have known him for more than two years. He takes up our issues and problems and therefore we support him,” said Sunny Dagar, who addresses Tanwar as bhaisaab, a sign of respect.
Tanwar said, “I use bicycle not as a stunt to attract the attention of the voters because people here know me and my family members. We have a long association and I don’t need to do all this. I commute by bicycle so that I can enter all the lanes of the colonies and meet as many people as I can and seek their blessings.”
With posters of Tanwar and smaller photographs pasted outside shops and on cars, the candidate visibly holds the attention of the voters for the time being. Though most of the Rs150 crore worth assets of Tanwar is mainly land holdings but this is helping in his favour as most of the residents of his constituency are from the same background.
v_gyan@dnaindia.net
