Now Mrs Bangaru faces the camera

Sushila Devi Laxman, called upon to substitute for her husband, former BJP chief Bangaru Laxman, as the party8217;s candidate in Jalore re...

Sushila Devi Laxman, called upon to substitute for her husband, former BJP chief Bangaru Laxman, as the party8217;s candidate in Jalore reserved constituency of Rajasthan, is all set to fight his battle.

Speaking to The Indian Express at their South Avenue residence here this evening, Sushila said, 8216;8216;I am a Bharatiya nari, Laxmanji8217;s ardhangini, and I have vowed to wipe out the blot on his forehead.8217;8217;

8216;8216;I never ever thought I would contest an election. I was content with looking after my home and children. I had kept Laxmanji free from all domestic worries so that he could pursue his political career. In the 33 years of our married life, I have never bothered him with a single domestic problem. But today, if I have to come forward to fight for his honour, I have no hesitation to contest,8217;8217; Sushila added.

Sushila, 56, who teaches Hindi at a school in Secunderabad, arrived here from Hyderabad last night. 8216;8216;I am only the front for Laxmanji. It is he who would be fighting the election by proxy8230;I thought of joining my husband because I felt that he was going though a lot of tension on account of an uncertain future. I had learnt that the party leadership was reluctant to give him a ticket though the people of Jalore and Sirohi districts wanted him to contest.8217;8217;

8216;8216;Laxmanji all of a sudden told me this morning that I may have to contest,8217;8217; she said, adding that it took her quite by 8216;8216;surprise8217;8217;. Was she nervous? Sushila said, 8216;8216;No. I am already familiar with party workers and the people of Jalore for I was there during the last Lok Sabha elections, too, when Laxmanji contested. I know them all, they know me.8217;8217;

Asked if she was nervous about the public meetings she might be asked to address, she said, 8216;8216;Oh, no. I am a teacher 8212; I can read the faces of my pupils and tackle them accordingly. Handling a crowd would be no problem.8217;8217; As for the subject matter, 8216;8216;I have not applied my mind yet, but I would certainly tell people that this ticket has been given to Laxmanji, and they must stand by him.8217;8217;

Though she is Telugu, Sushila said language is not a problem. 8216;8216;In fact, Laxmanji has picked up a great deal of Hindi from me,8217;8217; she added, underlining that she was born at Jhansi in UP. With her father a risaldar in the Army, she stayed at various places, from UP and Punjab to Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Armed with a Sahitya Ratan from Allahabad, she took up a Hindi teacher8217;s job.

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Sushila said she has no political idols. 8216;8216;I was neither into raj nor niti. Let me see both to form my opinion.8217;8217; She didn8217;t take kindly to the suggestion that she, being a proxy for her husband, might become another Rabri Devi. 8216;8216;I am an educated woman,8217;8217; she emphasised.