Electoral aromas

Within ten minutes, the conference was over and the feasting began. Everyone was eating: the scribes attacked the tikkis, the public relations people were at the golgappas and Goel himself was munching away on kachaudis 8212; one every two minutes. The scene is the same at most netas8216; homes, offices or even at padyatras or public meetings. I find everyone feasting everywhere. In fact, one hard look at the election campaign of various politicians makes it look more like a glorified mega food festival. The other day I was waiting for the Congress candidate for the South Delhi constituency, Manmohan Singh, at his Safdarjung Road residence. The photojournalist accompanying me wanted to take exclusive pictures of the Singh family. Singh was away campaigning. Even as we sat sweating in the drawing room on a hot and humid August afternoon, party workers and campaigners were having a luncheon party.

A make-shift kitchen had been setup in Singh8217;s backyard. Huge iron kadais and degchis full of food had been kept in a tent adjacent to the kitchen. There were pooris, dum aloo, pulao and raita. Party workers came out of the Singh household with plates in hand and loaded them with food. Soon, they sat eating under the trees in Singh8217;s garden, facing the sprawling bungalow. 8220;Campaigning bharpet achha hota hai one campaigns better on a full stomach,8221; commented a party worker.

Ditto at Congressman Jagdish Tytler8217;s home. In fact, Tytler himself is often seen munching namkeen and sandwiches on way his to a padyatra. Says campaign manager Hemant Soodan: 8220;Tytler saab loves munching something or the other during the election campaign. On way to a public meeting, he often stops by my home to pick up a few sandwiches.8221;

On reaching the public meeting, there is more food, of course 8212; moti-chur laddoos and chenachur garam by the handful. Have your fill, say partyworkers. Thenyou can choose from a list of beverages: sherbat, lassi, elaichi chai, adrat ke chai, nimbu chai, masala chai or plain chai. No wonder I feel sick in the stomach by the time I come back to office after a day on the campaign trail.

Of course, not all politicians feast during their campaigns. There are some who strictly follow their diet charts like the Congress candidate from Chandni Chowk constituency, J.P. Aggarwal. This neta has cornflakes for breakfast, two small phulkas, boiled subzi and salad for lunch and a glass of milk at dinnertime. 8220;No ghee for him. No fatty food either,8221; says wife Sarita Aggarwal.

Even as partyworkers feast, candidates like Aggarwal and Manmohan Singh keep aloof, not even looking at the food once, perhaps setting a code of conduct for us journalists trailing them.