BJP councillor Geeta Rai at a party rally. Picture by Anup Bhattacharya

The new BJP councillor...

A simple housewife Geeta Rai, 32, has not read the election manifesto of Bharitya Janata Party (BJP) nor has she ever delivered any stirring speeches. Yet she was nominated by the party as its candidate from ward 13 of HMC against mayor Mamata Jaiswal, a CPM heavy weight in the district.

Since her husband Umesh Rai, president of district BJP youth wing and a whole time party worker, has little time to spare for his family, it is Geeta who takes care of the family of four, leaving very little time to devote to party politics.

“I go to the market everyday to buy vegetables and other things, come back and cook, prepare tiffin for my children, wash their clothes. I have very little time to go through the election manifestos of political parties,” said the giant killer.

... with her children

Geeta has a 10 year old daughter Disa, who is a Class five student of Agrasain Balika Vidyalaya and five- year-old son Ujjal, a KG student of Agrasain primary section. But things have changed since the names of the candidates were announced by BJP. “When I informed her that the party had made her a candidate from ward 13 she got nervous. But gradually, she stated interacting with people and getting a good response,” said Umesh Rai, Geeta’s husband.

... with husband Umesh Rai

“My father was an army officer. Politics was not discussed in our family. We were brought up in strict discipline. Even 10 years after my marriage I did not attend a single party meeting. I used to watch leaders deliver speeches on TV. Now I wonder how I have become an elected candidate from an HMC ward,” said Geeta while distributing sweets among relatives in her G.T. Road home.

... in her puja room

She started attending public meetings only after her husband was made a candidate by the party in the 2011 assembly election. At that time she joined the BJP women’s wing and went from door-to-door seeking votes for her husband. “I got inspiration from Sushma Swaraj. She has a family to look after yet she finds time to serve the party,” said Geeta.

... with relatives and well-wishers

Many thought Geeta, a novice and quite uncomfortable in public life, would finish third in the election. “In most of the public meetings organised by the BJP’s north Howrah unit, Geeta used to sit silently while other BJP leaders addressed the meeting. Only a few minutes before the end of the meeting, she would utter a few words asking for support from the people. But her simplicity appears to have won the hearts of the people who voted in her favour,” said Omprakash Singh, president, north Howrah, BJP Yuva Morcha.

... with her supporters

More than public meetings, in north Howrah BJP laid stress on door-to-door campaigning to win the sympathy of voters. In the last two weeks, Geeta visited almost all the families in ward 13 and urged them to give her an opportunity to serve them.

“Now that I am elected by the residents of this ward I have decided to form a citizen’s committee in which people from all walks of life will be included. Each and every project related with ward 13 will be discussed with them before implementation,” said the giant killer.

... in her kitchen. Pictures by Anup Bhattacharya

She wanted to make ward 13 a model ward by renovating roads, building proper drainage system, ensuring supply of safe drinking water and clearing garbage in time.

“I shall lay stress on transparency on the issues of development. I shall let people know all about the projects of my ward and money sanctioned for the purpose. Only when there is transparency will development take place,” she said.