Rich in so many ways

Indian politicians come from a delightful range of occupations
What does one make of the extraordinary feat of Martin family’s winsome ‘threesome’, who won three assembly seats, from three parties, in two legislatures, TN and Puducherry? Lottery businessman Martin’s wife, TN’s richest candidate ( Rs 5,863cr, gulp), is now an ADMK legislator, their sonin-law is a TVK MLA, and their son floated his own outfit in neighbouring Puducherry to win a seat. No gawking – it’s all legit. The cliché writes itself – lottery czar Martin’s family hit the jackpot. Contesting and campaigning are so much about financial muscle and personal branding now, it’s all kosher. Lower that eyebrow.

What’s equally true is that riches of state assemblies aren’t confined to fat cats. Just as rich is the interesting, even bewildering, sometimes odd, mix of people who dream big, and dare to enter the electoral fray, frightening for those with thin skins, unthinkable for those with slim means. Leave aside the brains (family parties, career netas, activists and lawyers), the beauts (superstars, sportstars, B-grade actors), the babus & cops, even the motley mix of musicians and monks. The field keeps widening. Among the most novel trades, in this round, is that of a TVK winner – a vastu expert and ‘medical astrologer’, who some time ago, reportedly got into a bit of a snafu over posts on astrology curing cancer. As they say, we need all kinds infused in the dizzying cocktail that’s a legislature.

On a more sobering note, mothers of rape-murder victims also find themselves winners, in perhaps, a closure of sorts. But who is to argue the legislature is no place for a goat farmer, or quack, soldier or domestic help, mime artist or YouTuber, purohit or tantrik? For the software engineer, investment banker and coder. All manner of occupations fetch up. The labourer may find it beyond his reach to contest, but not so the murder undertrial, or super scamster, for whom a win could be just the ticket needed. In the diversity of what passes as ‘work’, neta affidavits have even had, simply, “shop rent”. No matter the grievances with Indian Netadom, reality is it draws the citizen in, like only politics can.

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