Poll Vault

Mankirat is not alone. This time,the election trail in Punjab has other young enthusiasts like him,travelling with their parents as the pre-election blitzkierg builds up before January 30. There is Arjun Badal,the tall,17-year-old son of Manpreet Badal of People’s Party of Punjab (PPP); Tarunjeet,21,son of S R Kler,the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate from Jagraon and Aarshdeep Singh,16, son of Gurpreet Kaur Gaggowal contesting on Congress ticket from Mansa.

Though all these boys are infectiously excited and are on their feet throughout the day,they admit that keeping up with mum and dad is not as easy as it seemed. “On the first day,I found it difficult to interact with people but I gradually found it interesting. I go for campaigning along with my mother for about six hours every day to seek votes for my father,” admits Mankirat,adding that he will catch up with his studies later. His rewards are usually fast food meals from McDonald’s and KFC. Evenings are spent playing video games,not discussing the day’s work. “In the next term,I will be ready with the speeches as well,” quips the national-level golfer.

On the other hand,Tarunjeet Kler packs in as many as 10 hours a day,pitching for his father who is contesting from Jagraon. A third-year law student at University Institute of Legal Studies,Panjab University,Tarunjeet admits,“I realised that it’s not an easy task to be a politician. One really needs to work hard on the ground level.” Fond of watching football and Italian cuisine,the 21-year-old is skipping time spent on social networking sites to build lasting relationships with voters for his father’s sake.

“When I am stressed,I go for long drives and listen to soothing music,” says Tarunjeet,who will soon be joined by his sister Rupinderjit Kaur Kler,as support.

Given the hectic pace of election work,the youngsters had to make changes to their routines. Aarshdeep Singh,who is not a morning person,starts his day at 6 am and is ready for meetings by 7.30 am. “The villagers get up early,so we have to follow suit,” he says. A student of Class X at St Stephen’s School,Chandigarh,he’s taken a long leave from his studies and feels comfortable addressing crowds in nukkad meetings. Equally at ease delivering a speech,peppered with Urdu couplets like his father,Arjun Badal is hard to miss in the villages of Gidderbaha where he campaigns for the senior Badal.

Usually clad in a white kurta-pajama paired with a jacket,Arjun,starts his day with paranthas,butter and milk. “No breakfast can beat paranthas…given the long day ahead; it’s the perfect kick-start,” chirps Arjun. He is as much at home in the family’s farmhouse in Badal village as he is at Choate Rosemary Hall,his co-educational boarding school in the US,where he is studying political science and American history.

On an extended winter break,Arjun has been an important part of his father’s poll campaign. In Surawala,he repeatedly tells villagers: “I am not here to enjoy my vacation but to help out my father and also to convince you all to bring about a change.” At 17,he can’t vote for his father but he’s articulate on why others should. “I know the importance of voting,so I can convince masses,” he adds.