Unique campaign style: Bike rides and push-ups

Hyderabad: Setting himself apart from most of the candidates contesting for the Lok Sabha elections, MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi does his electioneering in a unique Hyderabad style.

He does not hold meetings in large stadia or rallies in open grounds, the 49-year-old Mr Owaisi, who is over 6 feet, makes it a point to visit every galli and chaurasta in his Hyderabad parliamentary constituency, his long strides helping easily cover long distances. His supporters often find it difficult to keep pace with Owaisi. With a mike in hand and over 50 supporters following him, Mr Owaisi, fighting his fourth Lok Sabha election, greets people with a salam or a namasthe and seeking the blessing of elders who come his way.

He waves out to the children, the youth, autorickshaw drivers, bus passengers and just about anyone he sees on the roads. There is no party flags displayed on his route or sloganeering, but a leaflet is handed out seeking votes.

During this campaign, Mr Owaisi has hit the gym, pulling off push-ups and doing the ‘kettles’.

On some days, he opts to travel on his favourite Bullet motorcycle and stops by for Irani chai.

Mr Owaisi always stops the campaign for his noon and evening prayers. He ensures that he gives his supporters a briefing of his campaign by the day’s end.

A video clip of him describing his own campaign has gone viral. In this, he explains how he came across a classmate of his from his Nizam College days

Even as he is moving from door to door and locality to locality, Mr Owaisi keeps an eagle eye of what the political parties are saying. Sometimes he takes to Twitter to put out his views. He makes sure he takes on those who point fingers at him the same day.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a “speedbreaker” to progress at a public meeting in Lal Bahadur Stadium. He got his riposte the same night, with Mr Owaisi taking him. “Sir Modi, yeh Hyderabad hai pasha... yahan par nahin bhagna bolte log,” he said at a public meeting that has humour and seriousness in a Owaisian mix. “The job of a speedbreaker is to slow down vehicles. Now your speed will not work.”

Then, he said, “Chichore ke munh nahi lagna bolte (you should never provoke a frivolous man), and launched a bitter attack on Mr Modi.

Mr Owaisi has so far covered Yakutpura, Charminar, Rein Bazaar, Golconda and many other parts of the Hyderabad constituency.

Mr Owaisi, a barrister-at-law from Lincoln’s Inn and alumni of Hyderabad Public School and Nizam College and sometime cricket, won from the Charminar Assembly constituency in the 1994 and 1999 Assembly polls and has been representing Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha since 2004.