The Hindu : Karnataka News : Taking the rural route to campaign

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Friday, May 09, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Taking the rural route to campaign

Firoz Rozindar

Sridevi of Swarna Yuga party is campaigning on a bullock cart

Reaching out: Swarna Yuga party candidate S. Sridevi Krishnamurthy campaigning in Chitradurga.

Chitradurga: Like other contestants, S. Sridevi Krishnamurthy is busy campaigning for the coming Assembly elections here. But her campaigning style is unusual, simple, yet attractive.

Ms. Sridevi who is contesting on Swarna Yuga party ticket from Chitradurga constituency, has been going around in the city on a bullock cart seeking votes.

Accompanied by a handful of supporters, mainly women, with folded hands, she has been visiting various parts of the city.

She began her campaign trail last Sunday by travelling in a buggy decorated with flashy colours. Later, switched over to bullock cart.

Ms. Sridevi, who runs the Barageramma Stree Shakti Self-Help Group, has been working as social worker for the past 15 years. She said that it was due to the encouragement of women members of several SHGs that she decided to enter politics. “It is my first venture into politics. I never contested for any election before, not even for any local elections,” she admits.

Though she is apparently new to this field, she has a fair knowledge of politics and also displays confidence while she speaks on various issues.

“Most of the political parties have neglected the welfare of women. For them, women are a mere vote-bank and nothing else. Thus it is required that women should come into politics to raise their issues,” she said.

Wife of a driver working in the Health Department, Ms. Sridevi said that her husband always supported to her in any of her social activities.

“He always encouraged and supported me when I decided to contest elections.”

Asked what her winning chances were when heavyweights of various parties were in fray, she expressed confidence that people would vote her to bring about change in the constituency.

About her unique campaigning method, she said;” With carriers like bullock carts, I can relate to the villagers who are large in number. I want to show them that I am one among them,” she said.

Ms. Sridevi said that she had covered about 90 villages to garner support for the party.

She has also collected donations of about Rs. 10,000 as part of the party’s Swarna Nidhi programme. She said that people were offering donations to the party. “We will use this fund to open a bank for women,” she said.

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