Though for the time being, election campaigning has certainly provided a ‘healthier and wealthier atmosphere’ for several people, especially unemployed youths of the district, who were engaged in poll works for the last 10 days or more.
On an average, people like a helper of a mason or a sweeper at a private firm can hardly earn about Rs 150 to Rs 200 per day. But the election campaigning work paid them `300 per day, apart from food and drinks.
For unemployed youths, campaigning proved to be a boon, for which many of them worked round-the-clock to earn extra money.
But for many others, it was their health which felt better due to the campaigns.
Seema Uppin (53) of Kudachi village in Belgaum, had stopped selling vegetables on the streets for the last 10 days. She said that she weighed 97 kg before commencing the campaigning work. “Today, i weight 93 kg. I walked several kilometres in a padayatra for campaigning, which reduced my weight. That was what I wanted to do for so many years and I did it unknowingly,” she said.
Mason Keshav Jadhav (42) said that he was suffering from acidity and indigestion for several years. “The walk and sweat during the campaigning since the last seven days has cured more than 50 per cent of my health problems,” he said.
Kalpana Gurav (38), who is also a vegetable vendor, said that she hardly earned `200 to `250 per day selling vegetables under the hot sun. But the campaigning work provided her `300 daily, apart from breakfast and lunch. “Let any party win or lose, but elections should be conducted on a regular basis. At least it helps poor people survive,” said Kalpana, laughing at her own joke.
