🗳️ Tracking a day of the toughest job in India

🎩 A politician's workday

What is the toughest job in India today?

I put it to you that it is the job of a sincere politician.

There are no fixed working hours. There are no weekends. Whatever be going on in your life and in your mind, you have to show that you are happy at seeing the people who have come to meet you. At 7 am. On a Sunday morning. All 200 of them.

And for all the voters that you keep happy, you will be known for the ones who are miffed.

But if you don’t put in all the effort, there are at least 10 people waiting in the queue to take your position.

It’s tough, but it’s equally fascinating. Tracking a day in the life of a politician in India is like zooming into a part of the mammoth Indian democratic machine and seeing how its bearings, valves and gears move.

My colleague Rajesh did precisely such a zoom-in exercise and spent a day with SG Suryah, State Secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. Here’s his report.

Keep in mind that this is how Suryah’s day looks when the BJP has no MPs in Tamil Nadu and only four MLAs. Essentially, these are the party-building days for a BJP leader in TN.

Imagine the same, if and when the BJP does manage to gain a foothold in the state.

Will it though eventually? We don't know as of the day but here's a podcast which discusses all the possible permutations and combinations that can play out in Tamil Nadu now that the AIADMK has split with the BJP. (Available on the Swarajya app).

We will be watching Tamil Nadu, and the rest of India. You watch this space and if you like our work (and aren't a subscriber yet), you can subscribe for as little as Rs 699 (40% OFF) here.

Until next time,

Arush Tandon