A day at Dimple Yadav's war room in Saifai

Crowds have started gathering at the Yadav residence in Saifai, the ancestral village of Mulayam Singh Yadav in Etawah district, since early Saturday. The white building is currently the political headquarters of Dimple Yadav, who is contesting the general elections from the nearby constituency of Mainpuri. A steady stream of visitors, party workers and campaigners move in and out of the guarded gates, in anticipation of Dimple setting out for her constituency by 10 am.
However, on Saturday, the wait seems endless. The day before campaigning is to end for the third phase of the elections, she is busy attending to calls, holding booth-level meetings and firefighting any crisis.
The waiting room, much like a railway platform, sees its occupants change every half an hour, as one set of people finishes their work and are replaced by another group of party workers. A life-size portrait of party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, who passed away in 2022, hangs in one side of the room, which has turned into an altar of sorts. Young and old supporters alike, take off their footwear, pay respects to 'Netaji', as he was fondly called, and get their selfies clicked. In the midst of these photo sessions, endless rounds of tea keep the visitors occupied, many of whom have moved to the vast grounds where they are kept company by a couple of playful puppies and several peacocks and other birds, which a family member revealed Dimple is extremely fond of.
Rakhi Devi, a young party worker, has come all the way from Deoria to campaign for 'Didi', a term she uses for Dimple who is more frequently referred to as 'Bhabhi' by the party workers. "Some of us came to campaign for her. We have been in Mainpuri for the past week and will be returning to Deoria on Sunday, after the campaign ends. The 'mahaul' is very positive for the INDIA bloc, not just here but also in eastern UP. People have finally seen through the lies of BJP," she says. Rakhi was there to take directions for her next phase of campaigning back in Deoria.
Another team of SP supporters from Rajasthan is waiting to see Dimple. They have brought with them a traditional Rajasthani bandhej chunni as a gift for her.
At 2.30 pm, Dimple's media manager walks into the room, and to sighs of disappointment, announces that she will no longer be able to meet anybody for the day as she is tied up with meetings. As the room finally empties out, the manager says that Dimple has been on the phone almost non-stop. "She has a jan sabha at 4 pm and a roadshow at 6 pm. Before she leaves, she has to attend to all sorts of matters pertaining to the voting. There have been non-stop meetings with senior party leaders and administration to tie up all loose ends," he said.
Finally, at 4 pm, Dimple sets out for the first campaign programme for the day. The house quietens down as members and workers retire for the afternoon. Activity will pick up once again around 10 pm, when Dimple is expected to return for the night.