KOCHI: The time is 8.30 am, and the city is already bustling. Thoroughfare is packed with vehicles ferrying office-goers – almost a melee. Into this hustle and bustle, Akhil Marar, the Twenty20 candidate for Thrikkakara, entered along with his entourage.
What happened next resembled a scene from a whimsical political film. Akhil rushed from one restaurant to another at Ponnurunni, stopped a few commuters on two-wheelers, and greeted some autorickshaw drivers. From there, he rushed into a gym, startling those exercising there.
However, wherever he went, his fame as the winner of Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 5 got him a lot of attention. Although Akhil’s campaign started off with a false start on Thursday, Friday turned out to be a good day as he was able to meet some voters. However, on both days, his inexperience as a politician was palpable, not just in his mannerisms but also in his interactions with prospective voters.
It seemed almost as if his team hadn’t briefed him on the issues that residents faced in each locality he visited. At Ponnurunni, people, especially youngsters, were more interested in taking selfies with him due to his celebrity status. However, there were some moments when he had to tackle some tough questions.
At a house in Ponnurunni, Akhil grew a bit emotional over a voter’s question on his political experience. He told the voter: “Did a 26-year-old Kadannappally Ramachandran have any political lineage when he defeated CPM leader E K Nayanar? There are many such examples. So how can you say that I can’t be the same? I will win and come back to have a discussion with you.”
He stressed that people don’t look at political lineage or experience. “They only want a person who can solve their issues, a person who understands their worries. I am such a person,” Akhil said, while announcing that he will garner a good number of votes. “I’m getting positive vibes from all the areas that I have visited,” he said, jokingly adding up the number of positive votes he would get.
The one thing that frequently stood out during his campaigning on Thursday at Thuthiyoor and on Friday at Ponnurunni was his affinity towards autorickshaw drivers. On Thursday, he made a pit stop at an autorickshaw stand near the Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ). He discussed their issues and even showed them videos of him driving his autorickshaw in Kottarakkara, his hometown.
Throughout the campaigning on both days, it was evident that his celebrity status might do him some good. However, to what extent it would turn into votes remains a big question.