Ashutosh's journey: From studio spotlight to Old Delhi limelight

NEW DELHI: It took him no time to switch from being a TV journalist to a politician. Yet for Ashutosh, his long TV stint has only ensured that he is a more recognizable face of Aam Aadmi Party. He is the party’s candidate for the Chandni Chowk seat. Of course, it helps that his candidature was among the first to be announced, but it also led to dissent in the party’s ranks since he had joined AAP as recently as January 11.

Long working hours and meeting people are not new to him, but the frenetic pace of a political campaign is rather draining. On Tuesday, while campaigning in Rani Bagh, several people stopped him to get photos clicked with him. He does not sport the trademark AAP cap, but he is quite recognizable due to the shock of white hair.

"He did wear the cap initially, but then people found it difficult to recognize him. The volunteers themselves suggested that he take off the cap. The rest of us are wearing it so it doesn’t really matter," said Satyendra Jain, former Delhi health minister and MLA of Shakur Basti who was campaigning with Ashutosh.

Door-to-door campaigning, which was AAP’s strong point in the assembly elections, is not possible this time due to the larger area under each constituency and shortage of time. However, Ashutosh spends roughly eight hours each day trying to meet people.

"I am trying a mix of three to four things. It is humanly impossible to visit all houses in a particular constituency so our focus is group meetings. My day starts at 6am and I visit parks and meet morning walkers. This is one of the best campaigning periods for me because at such places one can always find a good mix of people of all ages, gender and communities. In the evenings I set out for pad yatras, nukkad meetings and political dinners," he said.

Ashutosh campaigns with a style typical of AAP candidates. Accompanied by a small team, he visits shops, stops to meet, shake hands and hug strangers like they are long lost friends.

The most common question thrown at him during his campaign is why the party quit from the government. In fact, there seems to be a sense of almost deep hurt and disappointment among people over this issue. "I try answering it as best as I can," he said.