Keen to follow in Acharya’s footsteps

LUCKNOW: For

Meera Vardhan

, issues related to women are close to her heart.

The Samajwadi Party’s mayoral candidate says that she knows why women avoid going to LMC office to pay taxes and avail other services. This is why she promises to make them women-friendly if she gets elected.

“Usually, we see men lining up at LMC offices to deposit house tax, pay bills or get certificates because women are reluctant to go to crowded, unkempt and mismanaged offices. If I get elected, I will make LMC offices and their environment more women-friendly,” says Meera.

The great granddaughter-in-law of educationist Acharya Narendra Dev, Meera, in a pleasant coincidence, got confirmation of her ticket on October 30 during celebrations of Dev’s birth anniversary in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Since then, she has spent most of her time on streets, among citizens, campaigning for herself and party candidates, seeking people’s support and votes.

“Acharyaji is known as an educationist, socialist and a theorist but I am most inspired by his persona as a social activist. He had compassion for people. I think one can only become a good politician if she shares and understands the emotions of people. I’ll follow in his footsteps if I become mayor and will strictly abide by the ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’ ideology,” adds Meera.

An devotee of Hanuman, Meera never steps out of the house without prayers. Like most days, on Thursday, her campaigning began at 8am. Clad in a white chikan kurta, palazzo pants and sport shoes, Meera sets out to meet traders and shopkeepers in

Sarojininagar

with a huge contingent of supporters.

“I set a target of visiting at least 10 wards each day and attending three-four Jan Sabhas. My motive is not only to appeal for votes but I want people to know that if I win, they will have an accessible mayor, whom they can approach even for their smallest civic problem,” she says, while meeting people in a residential colony near Bijli Pasi Ka Qila.

Talking to residents, Meera recounts the progress and development during Samajwadi Party’s regime and says she wants to take forward Akhilesh Yadav’s development spree.

Following her is her son

Devak Vardhan

, an aspiring lawyer and a student of Delhi University. “At no cost would I have missed the campaigning. In fact, I requested my teachers to exempt me from my exams and let me write them later,” he says.

After a long day of campaigning, Meera has a brainstorming session with party workers to chalk out the plan for the next day’s campaign. The meeting goes on till around 11pm.

“With each passing day, the number of places to visit in the next day’s schedule increases. With the day of voting approaching, we want to meet as many people as possible,” she says.