Long, hot campaign
The second phase of voting is under way and it appears to be much quieter than the first round which was marked by Maoist violence in parts. The situation in Sri Lanka dominates the headlines in three of the five main English newspapers in Delhi, so India seems to have settled into the groove of a long, hot election without much ado.
A heat wave is till scorching most of the country, and making things difficult for campaigning politicians and journalists on their trail. India's politicians are quite a reviled lot, but you have to admire their stamina in going around in the heat seeking votes.
I read about a Mumbai filmmaker-turned-politician who is moving around in an air-conditioned sedan in dirt-poor Bihar. "[He gets] out in the stinging heat, grabs a few farmers' hands, cuddles a couple of unclad kids, asks if they know who he is and jumps right back in," says the report. This possibly won't win votes for this debutant politician. You have to get down and dirty and work really hard to convince people to vote for you in India.
Comments
or to comment.