His master's choice: Poll managers sweat it out

NEW DELHI: Smriti Iraani, the BJP''s candidate from Chandni Chowk has two homes in south Delhi — one in Hauz Khas, which belongs to her husband''s family, and another in R K Puram, where her parents stay.
Yet, during her campaign she would be moving to her cousin''s house in Chandni Chowk, all on the advise of her "campaign manager" Delhi BJP president Harshvardhan.
As the heat and dust of the campaign trail becomes a daily routine, the men behind the candidates swing into action, meticulously detailing the road to success.
"I am Smritiji''s main campaign manager, as the rest of our six candidates are seasoned politicians," says Harshvardhan. Iraani is supposed to heed the advise of Choudhary Chandan Singh, a longtime BJP worker in the constituency.
For the East Delhi candidate Sandeep Dikshit, the campaign team is all in the family.
His team consists of aunt Rama Dhawan, who also managed his mother Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit''s campaign and sister Latika Dikshit, who is in charge of logistics like getting the six affidavits needed.
For the youthful Ajay Maken, the Lok Sabha polls have left a strong feeling of deja vu, as it seems a reprise of the Assembly poll.
His trusted lieutenant is his cousin Harish Brara, whose "daytime job" is that of a garment exporter. "Ajay and I have been together for 25 years now. I know what he wants and I deliver," he says.