The vote pedaller

Vijay Kumar, a rickshaw puller who lives in the Paharganj area, got inspired to contest an election while working on the campaign of a politician some years ago. He is contesting from the Karol Bagh constituency, reports Sidhartha Roy.

Vijay Kumar, a rickshaw puller who lives in the Paharganj area, got inspired to contest an election while working on the campaign of a politician some years ago. He is contesting from the Karol Bagh constituency.

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Why are you contesting the elections?

I have seen too many politicians making false promises. I now want to win an election and see how much I can do for the people in my area.

Problems in your area?

Poor sewerage, broken roads and inadequate power. The biggest problem, however, is unemployment. I don’t make tall claims about solving all these problems, but I promise to help anyone in need at any time of the day or night.

How do you campaign?

I meet everyone personally and request them to vote for me. I also go campaigning in my cycle rickshaw. I don’t have any money to splurge on my campaign.

Are you confident of a win?

I don’t know. I am giving it my best shot, working on my campaign day and night. I hope people understand what I want to do for them and vote for me.

Isn’t your livelihood affected by the time spent on campaigning?

I own 10 rickshaws, of which I ply one. The rent from the other rickshaws is enough to provide me two square meals a day.

What assets do you own?

I don’t have any assets and live in a house owned by my father.