UP polls: Musclemen warming up for electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh

BHARATPUR: Wrestler Rakesh Gujjar is pumping iron vigorously at his home-grown akhada, not for an upcoming sports contest but for the electoral battle in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where he will lend his muscle power to a political party.

Gujjar is among the 40 odd musclemen warming up for the polls in Bharatpur, which is known as a centre of wrestling and borders Uttar Pradesh.

"Elections are a big grosser for us. We are paid to flex our muscles and stand behind the party candidate," says Gujjar, 25, without revealing the name of the party that has hired him.

Political parties in Uttar Pradesh prefer to hire wrestlers from outside of the state. "Musclemen are generally hired for political power show. Sometimes, they are also used to influence and intimidate voters," says Rajju Pahalwan, who had also rendered his services in the previous state election. "In such cases, anonymity of the wrestlers saves on legal and social complications," he says.

Polls in Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous and politically critical state, are known for their high-decibel campaigning. Political parties readily shell out Rs 1,500-2,000 for a first-timer, in addition to three protein and fat-rich diets a day, while seasoned wrestlers and team leaders earn Rs 5,000-8,000 a day depending on the risk associated with the job.

"People think that we are being hired to beat up or force people to vote. This is a misconception," says Chunni Kaptan, owner of Kaptan ki Bagichi, a local akhada. "We are there to protect our hirers, standing tall beside them."