Are you making more excuses not to vote?

To participate in any Indian election, be it panchayat or general elections, candidates need to have their pockets stuffed with cash, as in seriously stuffed. The poll game gets real when stakes are high, such as Lok Sabha elections. But wait. Candidates also need something more than cash, too. They need guts, like superhero-level abs that can win them a bravery medal. One of the contenders for the bravery medal of the ongoing general elections is a spunky 25-year-old art grad, Pramila Pujari, who is fighting from Odisha's Koraput seat. Her poll affidavit reads like a minimalist's dream: zero cash and a bank balance of ₹20,625. Pujari, a daily labourer, however, is not bothered. She is relying on her community's support to energise her campaign. In her playbook, there will be no extravagant rallies filled with paid attendees. Rather, Pujari plans to knock on the doors of her supporters and host gatherings across village clusters. Whether she emerges victorious or loses, is beside the point. Because the lady has made a point.

Let's raise a glass to courageous and resourceful candidates like Pujari, who fearlessly enter the political arena armed with nothing but determination and hope. With each step, they embody resilience and perseverance, a beacon of hope and inspiration in a world often filled with citizens who make silly excuses not to vote.