By Meera Bhardwaj - BANGALORE
Published: 15th February 2014 10:10 AM
Last Updated: 15th February 2014 11:04 AM
Volunteers from across India have descended on Bangalore to help their hero Nandan Nilekani win the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
They are bustling about, peering at reports and numbers, and escorting him to voter enclaves while rival teams are still napping.
One of the most common questions voters ask Nilekani is, “But why Congress, sir?” He responds by saying it supported his Aadhaar card project, and his father was fond of the party’s ideology. He does not speak of any of the scandals tainting the Congress-led UPA reign.
Members of Nilekani’s team hail from corporate, academic and media backgrounds, hold degrees from premium institutions, and are busy organising interactive sessions with the former Infosys boss at colleges and residential complexes across Bangalore South, the constituency he hopes to represent. They don’t want to reveal their names, but let City Express in on what they were doing behind the scenes.
Nilekani, who co-founded Infosys and became its CEO, moved to a government position in 2009 when he became chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India. The authority issues Aadhaar cards. He is now all set to be the Congress candidate from Bangalore South.
“Ours is a great mix of people from every background as political campaigns are based on lateral thinking. Once his candidature is formally announced, we will have tremendous support from the party,” a core member of his team who did not wish to be named told City Express. The team’s strategy is simple for now: connect with as many people as possible while there is still time. (Elections are due in about 12 weeks). Other candidates are still talking strategy while Team Nandan is busy canvassing.
“It is plain common sense. We have a small team of people who want to work with him not as subordinates but as team mates,” said a youth volunteer. The team comprises Bangaloreans as well. A volunteer who has known Nilekani for five years says he has taken a sabbatical from his software career. “This is a lifetime opportunity,” he said, refusing for the moment to have his name in print.
Some in the team speak Kannada and connect with grassroots Congress workers, while other volunteers interact with the English-speaking electorate.
“Most of us can speak Kannada and the few who don’t know are making efforts to learn it,” said a member of the team, defending it against the charge of alienation from a culturally proud electorate.
The team is using analytical methods to chalk out its campaign. It has already looked at the electoral history of the Bangalore South constituency, taking into account trends, demographics, and caste equations.
Nandan has been meeting top Congress leaders as well as booth-level workers. The Congress is yet to announce his candidature, but he is visiting apartments in Koramangala, Jayanagar and J P Nagar, and interacting with students at institutions such as Christ University and Jyothi Nivas College.
Nilekani is responding to invitations from resident welfare associations, colleges, and gated communities. “Every such event gets a full house and people interact with him with enthusiasm,” said a team member who speaks fluent Kannada.
Whether the ‘full house’ will translate into votes will soon be known.
m meera.bhardwaj@newindianexpress.com
Mix of people
Bangalore South is a mix of upper class, middle class and poor localities and a significant youth population working in the IT/BT sectors. It has sent Ananth Kumar of the BJP to the Lok Sabha for five terms. Jayanagar resident Suresh said, “Nilekani comes across as a simple and committed individual in the highly corrupt world of politics. But I have still not decided.” Agnes, a student from Jyoti Nivas college said, “It is too early to decide whether to vote for Nilekani although I was impressed by his talk to motivate the youth.”
Ideas online
With one of every two Indians being under 25, Nilekani has launched a personal blog called Ideas for Bengaluru to connect with young voters. “It’s time, I believe, for us to come together and direct our energies towards this exceptional city that we live in,” he says on his blog.
