The heat is on! With just 19 days left for the polls in Kerala, every politician in the fray is literally sweating it out. Campaigning, they say in one voice, has never been this tough or demanding. No dissenting voices on that. By changing their diet and lifestyle, the candidates hope to take on the challenges of the Indian summer.
“More than my opponents, I am wary about a bout of sinusitis. It worsens in this oppressive heat, because I keep stepping in and out of air-conditioned vehicles into the hot sun. Dust worsens it. I had a tough time when I contested from here the first time. Now I take precautions, try home remedies and do regular inhalation,” says MB Rajesh, two-time MP who is trying for a third run from Palakkad, at present the hottest constituency in the Kerala.
MB Rajesh, LDF candidate in Palakkad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Hibi Eden from Ernakulam talks about coping with a burning sensation on the skin while C Divakaran, contesting from Thiruvananthapuram, admits with a guffaw that the campaigning in this weather is almost like a punishment for all politicians.
Hibi Eden during the election campaign | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat
Starting the campaign by 6 or 7 in the morning and staying indoors between 11 am and 3 pm is one way of beating the heat. “There is a party directive to take a break during the period,” says Veena George, Aranmula MLA and one of the few women in the fray. So all open-vehicle campaigns and road shows have been scheduled in the evening hours.
Veena George
When they are out campaigning, bottles of boiled and cooled water and fruits are a must in their vehicles. “I keep at least two bottles of water in my car and it’s a strict no-no to ice water,” says Rajesh.
Tender coconut water is a favourite during summer | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Tender coconut water is on everyone’s list. Shashi Tharoor, sitting MP of Thiruvananthapuram constituency, calls it his “personal favourite”. He also keeps a bottle of water mixed with lime and salt in his vehicle. Thirty-year-old VP Sanu, the youngest candidate in the fray, contesting from Malappuram, also votes in favour of tender coconut water to keep him hydrated.
VP Sanu
A poll veteran and the oldest candidate in the fray, Divakaran admits that he is extremely worried about the campaigning days ahead. “Not because of my age! I have contested several times before, but it has never been this difficult. I really feel bad for my party workers,” says Divakaran, sitting MLA of Nedumangad.
C Divakaran
Diet matters
To cope with the merciless summer, many of the candidates say they have switched to a vegetarian diet or reduced their intake of red meat. Rajesh says that if he has no other go, he has fish, that too only fish curry. Divakaran has also cut down on carbs. “Oats is a must for breakfast; lunch is two or three spoons of rice with vegetarian curries and curd,” says Divakaran.
Each candidate has his/her remedy to battle the rising mercury levels. Debutant Ramya Haridas, contesting from Alathur, another constituency in Palakkad district, explains her formula: “In addition to gulping plenty of warm water, I sometimes mix arrow root powder in it,” she says.
Ramya Haridas, UDF candidate in Alathur in Palakkad | Photo Credit: KK Mustafah
Apparently arrow root is good for digestion and has a cooling effect, she adds. Tharoor, a vegetarian, goes with his usual menu of “idlis for breakfast, a simple Keralite staple fare for lunch and two or three very thin, small home-made dosas for dinner.”
In fact, even voters advise their candidates to stay safe and healthy while campaigning during the day. “Sometimes my voters, especially elderly women, tell me not to be out in the sun for long and advise me to have fruits and lots of water. It’s important to stay healthy and hydrated. I have light meals, drink bottles of warm water and eat plenty of fruits, besides sticking to a vegetarian diet. It is always a safe option,” says Veena.
K Muraleedharan | Photo Credit: K Ragesh
Somebody who wants to stick to vegetarian food but can’t do it is the sitting MLA from Vattiyoorkavu, K Muraleedharan, another veteran in the fray. A candidate from Vadakara, he says: “Imagine turning vegetarian at a place like Vadakara, where non-vegetarian fare is common and easily available. I prefer chicken to fish but meat is believed to increase the heat in the body. So to balance it all, I have lots of water and fruits,” he says. He breakfasts on nuts and dry fruits while dinner has always been idli-chutney and boiled bananas.
However, there are a few who haven’t gone for any dietary changes. KS Radhakrishnan, a new entrant in the political arena, says he is not hassled by the heat. “I keep myself hydrated with water and coconut water. As for lunch, fish curry is a must and in a place like Alappuzha there is no dearth of that. Sardine curry makes my day. For dinner, I have kanji and payar, a habit I can’t give up,” he says.
KS Radhakrishnan | Photo Credit: H Vibhu
Hibi too sticks to his usual diet. “I have increased the liquid intake, but there is no compromise on diet because I need to have the stamina to cover the constituency, especially on foot,” he asserts.
Comfortable wear
Cotton is everyone’s favourite, with occasional use of linen. Shirt-mundu combo seems to be de jure attire for the men. However, Tharoor says he, at times, opts for white trousers with his cotton kurtas since “as one is constantly in crowds, the risk of people treading on one’s mundu is great!”
Depending on the weather, he also wears his pair of “soft shoes, that are easy to slip on and off quickly but also extremely comfortable and give me foot support, which is a must on any long day that will inevitably involve a lot of walking”. The women go for cotton saris, while, for Ramya, kurtas are a favourite.
- MB Rajesh, C Divakaran, Veena George and VP Sanu are Left Democratic Front’s candidates contesting the polls.
- Shashi Tharoor, Hibi Eden, Ramya Haridas and K Muraleedharan are United Democratic Front’s candidates.
- KS Radhakrishnan is Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate.
What most of them have sacrificed is their sleep and not only because of sleepless nights over the final results. Many of them sleep for about five hours or less. They point out that they will have ample time to catch up on their sleep after April 23!
And once the results are out, it is back to work.