THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The politicians are not scared of the sweltering summer heat that may have an impact on their long campaign in the Assembly elections. They say that they are used to the heat and can weather the climate, like they do in their political life.
A few of the MLAs to whom DC spoke revealed their plans to stay healthy during the fiery campaign period. While LDF’s Mullakara Ratnakaran and Jameela Prakasam feel that the scorching heat is unavoidable, Benny Behanan and K. Sivadasan Nair of the Congress vouch that they will beat the heat and dust and stay fit.
Usually, the scorching summer heat starts during March, but this time even by mid-February, Keralites have been facing acute humidity. Kovalam MLA and JD(S) leader Jameela Prakasam, who was born in a village in Kollam, told DC that summer season was always eagerly awaited right from her childhood. Though she is not certain of re-contesting from Kovalam constituency, she said the sea breeze would cool the atmosphere.
“I have always been fond of the summer season because of long holidays. But I do not take any aerated drinks during the campaign as that would make you thirstier. I prefer to take tender coconut juice, butter milk, fresh juice without adding sugar and normal water,” she said.
Jameela Prakasam is the wife of Neelalohitadasan Nadar who has represented Kovalam constituency four terms. She took VRS from the State Bank of Travancore as deputy general manager in 2011 and is one of the most efficient legislators. She has also arranged her summer wardrobe with a collection of Lucknow cotton saris and also handloom saris from New Delhi.
CPI legislator from Chadayamangalam, Mullakara Ratnakaran, feels that the climate change itself is a campaign issue. “Since it is peak summer, we would have to change the campaign hours accordingly. Instead of public meetings we will conduct family meetings,” added Ratnakaran who is a diabetic patient.
The local people offer him tea, tender coconut juice and lime juice in his constituency. Thrikkakara MLA Benny Behanan is gearing up to contest for the third time. Due to his hypoglycaemia (deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream), he drinks lots of fluids and eats in between his campaign.
But he says his wife Sherly Benny is disappointed that once the election campaign starts, her husband hardly comes home to relish home food. Two-time Congress MLA K. Sivadasan Nair says more than him or his retired college professor wife P. R. Lalithamma, their two daughters, S. Ashwathy, a bureaucrat, and S. Arathy are more worried about their father’s campaign. But he says that he goes on the campaign mode as per the demands of the moment.
