Citizens’ candidates race against time,funds

“I am fighting against corruption and inflation,” 45-year-old Rane said. “There’s very little time left and a lot of work has to be done,” he added.

There was a fair amount of panic among all citizens’ candidates,most of whom were on a shoe-string budget and hard-pressed for time,on their last day of canvassing.

Compared with political parties,the citizens’ candidates got very little time to piece their campaigns together. They got their symbols on February 6 and started active campaigning from only February 8.

Some of the citizens’ candidates with a higher budget and more help were better organised. Activist Sherley Singh,for instance,contesting from the Mumbai 227 platform from ward number 64,was moving around Juhu in her white car with heaps of campaign material,‘Vote for Sherley’ tshirts,a list of the electorate of her ward,individual voting cards and a box of candles,her symbol,to distribute among voters.

“It’s not just the symbols. There’s also so much legal work associated with contesting the elections and as an Independent,half my time was spent taking care of that. For political parties,there’s a separate team that takes care of all this,” Singh said.

“So far,the response has been very warm. If all these people actually come out and vote,I will be a rock star,” she added with a grin.

With still hour-and-a-half of campaign time left,Adolf D’Souza,the city’s first citizens’ candidate elected in 2007,retreated to his office to file last-minute affidavits.

“This time around it was easier,as people already knew me,” D’Souza said.