BENGALURU: The road to political office is a long and arduous one, but netas in
Karnataka wouldn’t have any illusions about that.
Mostly on the wrong side of 50, these seasoned veterans of the election grind are girding themselves for 10-12 hour daily campaigns with a combination of diet, discipline and determination even as they all declare that it is the love of their supporters that keeps them going.
Says Vasu, the sitting MLA for the Chamaraja seat in
Mysuru, “For the past 35 years, I’ve been walking regularly... On average, I walk about 10 km every day.” On the other hand is Kaup MLA and former minister
Vinay Kumar Sorake, who says he “stopped walking in the morning as the campaign walks more than make up for it”. The 63-year-old adds, “Recently, I switched to a vegetarian diet. I do yoga... make sure I take a lot of liquids during campaigns.”
For B
Ramanath Rai, the 65-year-old Congress candidate from
Bantwal, a strict exercise regime does the trick. Contesting for an eighth time, Rai has gym at his residence and exercises every morning for at least two hours. Over seven years, he has lost 30kg and tips the scale at 100kg.
“While I exercise and do yoga, naturopathy and physiotherapy keep me fit. I was under medication for diabetes, but with regular exercise, my blood sugar level is under control. I prefer vegetarian food but do have non-vegetarian occasionally,” Rai said.
(With inputs from R Uday Kumar, Ravi Posavanike, Kevin Mendonca)