Candidate polishes shoes to pay back loan for contesting polls

MADHUBANI: An Independent candidate from the Jhanjharpur constituency is working overtime by mending and polishing shoes to pay back the money he had borrowed from native villagers to contest the recently-concluded Lok Sabha elections. For 35-year-old Cheedi Ram, day begins at six in the morning at his makeshift shoe repair shop under a tree in Rampatti bazar in Madhubani district. He works till late in the evening aiming to earn as much as he can so that he can return the money borrowed from people to contest the elections.

"I had borrowed Rs 10,000 from people to contest elections from Jhanjharpur. Now they want their money which I can do only by earning more," Ram told PTI today. "I earn Rs 200 to Rs 250 daily and out of which I keep a portion to meet my family needs and utilise the rest to pay back the money I have borrowed," he said, reasoning that he wanted to see if a poor man can make it to the Lok Sabha with the cooperation of people.

Ram, who fought on swing machine symbol, spent around Rs 16,000 in filing nomination, banner and posters designing and campaigning. Apart from Rs 10,000, he spent his savings of Rs 6,000 for the same.

With no other source left, Ram went back to his family trade, working overtime to mend shoes, chappals and polishing them to collect money. Ram said irrespective of the result, he would continue to fight elections in future to serve people genuinely. "Maidan chorne wale nahin hai (I will not leave the field)," he said.