Chandigarh: From nagar sewak to Mr Mayor, meet the new Kalia

A BJP leader and former mayor, known for his well-groomed looks, hinted that Kalia was acting on his advice in the looks department. “Since we were sure of his win, I advised him to get six to eight new blazers and safari suits. After all, he is the Mayor of Chandigarh and has to have a Mayor’s body language,” he said.

Taking his advise, Kalia went shopping with his daughter. But the grey safari suit he wore on the election day was the choice of his well-dressed party colleague.

Kalia’s demeanour has also undergone a change. In General House meetings, he used to sprawl on bench, but over the last few days, he started sitting straight though there are times, especially during interviews, when he seems to forget his new persona and begins wheeling around quite feverishly. Now, when his new official vehicle makes a halt, the new Mayor steps out wearing an authoritative look. And he doesn’t come out alone, shadowing him is his gunman.

Once known for his outspoken manner, Kalia has also taken to weighing his words. “Now he has to be careful of what he speaks,” said a BJP councillor.

But, Kalia insists that nothing has changed.

“When I go home at night, I usually tell my driver to park the official vehicle at a distance so that I can walk to my residence in Dadumajra. In morning, I go to drop my daughter to school.”

He added, “I also tell my gunman to go home at night. It is only at 9 am that he comes with the driver and they give me a call.”

But the ragpicker-turned-Mayor says there has been a change in the way people interact with him.

“Those in my neighbourhood, who were very candid with me, now seem guarded when they speak,” he remarks.

Though he wants to be called a nagar sewak, even his fellow councillors now address him as “Mayor saab”.

However, those staying in Kalia’s neighbourhood have a piece of advice for him. “He should not forget the people who helped him get here… It has been around a week today, he should have had at least one get-together with the Dadumajra residents. We are like his family and expected him to celebrate this victory with us as well. Today (Thursday) we got to know that he had a party at the Mayor’s residence,” groused Mamta, a neighbour.