BENGALURU: The netas are working day and night to reach out to more voters. But their  ‘Sarathis’, the drivers, are the actual driving force behind the campaigns. It speaks of their ‘wheel power’ — they too work hard, helping their bosses do the campaigning.

The New Sunday Express spoke to a few of these unsung heroes. Shauqat Ali Khan (59, who has been CM H D Kumaraswamy’s driver for the last 16 years, says,  “My father contested as an independent against former PM Indira Gandhi in the 1978 by-poll. He lost and that’s when he came in contact with Deve Gowdaji. Since then we were in touch with this family. Sixteen years ago, I was a driver for Nikhil Kumaraswamy and now for the CM. They treat us like their own,’’ he says.

“CM Kumaraswamy does not get time to rest. Even when he is in the car, he doesn’t take a nap.  This election, I have travelled with him, driving him to Mandya, Mysuru, Kolar, Hassan, Tumkur, Chikkaballapura and other places,” he says.

M Ramesh (44), driver to BJP State president B S Yeddyurappa for the last 13 years, says, “I was a taxi driver and the BJP chief’s son son Vijendra used to travel in my taxi 13 years ago with his friends.’’

Mahesh (name changed), a driver with a senior Congress leader, says there is a lot of difference between working for a non-political person and a neta. “For instance, when I work for a neta, I cannot stop for tea while I am on duty. We can sleep when they are on the dais addressing rallies. But at the end of the day, I am satisfied.’’