A six-time electoral veteran, the Fatehpuri chaiwala wants to change the face of Delhi 6
A chaiwala (tea vendor) reaches the hot seat and wins a fortune.
Well, that was Slumdog Millionaire but Balram Bari a tea stall owner at Chandni Chowk also aims to strike it rich in the electoral battle. Bari is contesting from the high-profile constituency in Old Delhi against Congress stalwart Kapil Sibal, BJP's Vijender Gupta and LJP's Shoaib Iqbal.
Bari is not expecting a miracle. This 40-year-old is in the fray for the seventh time.
"I have sown the seed and I'll harvest the fruit in the years to come. I have been contesting elections for so many years while the other contestants are new, so I have an edge over them. For me, one vote is equivalent to 100 votes for them (other candidates) as I get votes as an individual. While people vote for parties more than they do it for individual candidates," said Bari, pouring tea for his customers at the busy Fatehpuri Chowk.
He made his debut in the electoral fray in 1989 and was pitched against Congress' J P Aggarwal. Bari got 15 votes then. He also contested in the 2007 Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections in which he got 115 votes.
Father of four, Bari dropped out of school after failing in Mathematics in Class XI. With the Rs 4,000 he earns from his shop in the Gandhi Gali, Bari supports his 75-year-old mother and wife apart from his children. He also tries to double up as a estate agent sometimes to earn an extra buck.
Bari's poll budget is Rs 30,000-40,000 that he will borrow from his friends. He will also keep his tea stall open as he hopes that during the election season, business is going to be good. Also, he will run his campaign from there.
For the last six Lok Sabha elections, Bari has got chess board, stretcher, black board and letterbox as his polling symbols. He is trying to get the letterbox again this year. Bari plans to "change the face of Delhi 6". The fact that he managed only 150 votes in all the elections he fought so far, doesn't deter him.
"I am not buying new clothes. I will not wear khadi clothes as it is for corrupt politicians. Big politicians spend more than Rs 20 crore on their election but I will try to give them a tough fight with my nominal budget. I earn
only for two reasons: first, to fight elections and, second, to feed my children," said Bari.
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