All is fair in love and war” said a wise man. Add elections to that—for if the profile of candidates in the fray for the RMC polls is anything to go by, the wannabe-ward councillors and aspiring mayors are setting rather interesting examples of family ties, filial bonds and marital bliss.
Take Jainendra Prasad, a candidate for Ward 28 for instance. The 62-year-old former employee of Heavy Engineering Corporation is banking on the campaigning strength of his 54-member joint family to thrust him to power. Then there is Chanda Devi, from Ward 43. The reticent housewife was accompanied to the Collectorate by a 104 –year old lady. Judging by the amount of blessings sought and given both before and after the filing of nomination papers, most onlookers couldn’t be blamed for thinking that the duo were mother and daughter; actually, the old lady was a supporter and voter from Chanda Devi’s ward, who had accompanied her ‘daughter’ for the ‘shubh kaam’.
And if mothers are around, can mother-in-law be far behindIJ So 60-year-old Bushra Naseem and her daughter-in-law Aafreen Naaz, 25, are both contesting for the councillor’s post from ward 47. Those expecting an Ekta-Kapoor style drama will, however, be disappointed—for both are upbeat about each other’s chances, and say “the main thing is to do good for the ward’s welfare”. And helping them both on the campaign trail is Naseem’s daughter and Naaz’s sister-in-law, Arjmand Naseem, a Public Relations professional employed in New Delhi.
Elsewhere, another sister-in-law is gearing up for battle. Nakul Tirkey, the incumbent councillor of ward 1 has fielded his brother’s wife Suneeta Tirkey as his ward has been added to the list of those reserved for women. On the other hand, Rajesh Gupta, the outgoing representative of ward 19, has exhibited his brotherly affections by fielding his elder sister from his ward.
The addition of 6 more wards to the existing 20 reserved for women candidates has, in fact, prompted a demonstration of marital devotion and wedded bliss unparalleled by candidates in recent times. Outgoing councillor husbands have become tremendously supportive of their wives’ political ambitions, and wives are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that their ward remains within the family’s control for another five years. The list of ‘wifey’ candidates is quite extensive, and includes the better halves of Mrinal Guha of ward 13, Rajan Verma of ward 22, Sunil Yadav of ward 23, Vishnudev leelu of ward 24, Jameel Akhtar of ward 26, K.M. Singh of ward 40 and Pushpa Gupta, the wife of Ward 31’s Sunil Gupta, to name just a few.
Ask any of them the reasons and the replies all echo each other like a rehearsed piece. “The people of my ward were quite happy with the work done in the last five years and wanted it to continue under my wife’s stewardship,” say some. Others answer with the more clipped, “Our ward people have favoured the idea (of the wife/ sister) contesting from here, and since public opinion rules, she has entered the fray.”
Amid all this love and affection, one couple from ward 18 is redefining the concept of ‘for better or worse’. Mohammad Shakil and his wife Sanjeeda Khatoon are like any ordinary married couple in the city, except for one minor detail – the two are contesting the RMC polls opposite each other from the same ward. While Shakil filed his papers on Monday, Sanjeeda did so on Tuesday. Every morning after breakfast, the two part ways for the campaign trail, where Shakil lambasts the incumbent councillor for leaving a number of tasks unfinished and promises residents a better dispensation if he is elected. The catch: the incumbent councillor is his wife Sanjeeda! As for Sanjeeda, she is unfazed by the public criticism from her husband. “Outside home, he is like any other rival candidate. So I don’t take offence. Also, anyone is free to contest polls in our country,” she says. Wifely duties however, seem to be overcoming political responsibilities, as she is contemplating withdrawal in her husband’s favour.
Clearly, with political ties fluid, family ties are ruling the hustings.