Sumitra Devi, 60, is putting the finishing touches on Mahishasur. She makes idols for a living, an art she learned from her husband who is out buying colours to paint the entire tableau. With less than a week to go for the Durga Puja celebrations, the couple has no time to lose, but still made time to travel from Patna to Samastipur to vote for Ram Vilas Paswan.
When Ram Vilas Paswan was Chief Minister, he gave us a licence to work here. He’s the one who’s looking out for the poor.
— Sumitra Devi, Artist
Paswan voters account for 6% of the 6.68 crore electorate in Bihar. Even if 2-3% vote for the Lok Janshakti Party, it could translate to a sizeable chunk of the Dalit vote for the BJP. Apart from the arithmetic, an alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan helps the BJP look good, considering he had quit the Vajpayee Cabinet in April 2002 in the wake of a censure motion on the Gujarat riots.
Unaware of how crucial her vote was for the BJP, Sumitra smiles shyly when asked about her expectations from the new government because “nobody solicited” her “political opinion before”.
I want jobs for my children. I’ve sent them to school so that’s the least I can expect from the government. For myself, I want land, so I can live in peace and not be bothered by the police time and again.
— Sumitra Devi, Artist
What will she do when Durga Puja ends? “I will start work on Lakshmi Puja”, says the grandmother of six.
For full coverage of Bihar Polls 2015, click here.
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