Yavatmal man has lost 32 elections, yet is contesting again

Yavatmal: Uttam Kamble of Simpalpipri village in Yavatmal district has a passion about contesting elections. He has contested 32 elections from gram panchayat to parliamentary and lost every one but this has not disheartened him. This time he is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Yavatmal-Washim and Hingoli.
Kamble is contesting elections because he feels that all the established political parties are not bothered about the poor. “Whether it is Congress or BJP or any other party all are for the rich. They promise to uplift the poor during elections but do nothing. I contest the elections because I am confident that one day I will win and will be able to raise the issues of poor and farmers,” he told TOI while campaigning in Yavatmal town.

Kamble has managed to get a ticket from Prabuddha Republican Party. His best performance was in 2009 general elections when he polled 15,500 votes even though 28 contestants were in fray. He had first contested the gram panchayat elections in 1993 from his village.

He is a post graduate in commerce but has no regular job. Kamble is an odd jobs man and makes just enough to make his two ends meet. He collects the extra money in an earthen pot and uses it for campaigning. “I travel by bicycle and state transport buses to reach all corners of the constituency. I tell people that only I am really bothered about them,” he said.

Kamble is married and his family members support him. His mother sold some of her gold jewellery this time to provide money to him for campaigning in two constituencies.

Many people don’t take Kamble seriously. A pan kiosk owner told TOI, “He is a non-serious candidate. I don’t know why people vote for him at all.”