Bhopal: Candidates’ Go-to Meal For Managing Hectic Canvassing: Dalia, Saute Veggies, Gud-chana, Coconut Water

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Elections mean non-stop work for candidates. They have to travel, walk, give any number of speeches, shake hundreds of hands, touch dozens of feet - and keep on smiling. Electioneering is not only physically difficult, it is mentally stressful, too.

Free Press spoke to some BJP and the Congress candidates in the ongoing Vidhan Sabha elections how they took care of their health during the hectic campaigning - their meals, their exercise routine, the precautions they took and so on.

Excerpts :

Saute veggies, one egg a day

I did my entire campaigning on foot. I did not use a vehicle at all. So everyday, I walked for around nine hours. That added up to 18,000-20,000 steps, more-than-fulfilling my exercise target. As for food, saute vegetables were my staple. I completely avoided the Dal-Chawal-Roti meals. I also took paneer, mushroom, milk and dry fruits and yes, one egg a day. I am a non-vegetarian but I prefer vegetarian food. During campaigning, I ate no non-veg food except egg. I have no chronic diseases, barring hypertension. I have to take one medicine everyday for it. Otherwise, I avoid medicines. During campaigning, I contracted viral fever but I did not rest. My routine remained unchanged.

- Dhruv Narayn Singh, BJP

People are source of energy

There is nothing like people and their support as a source of energy. When there are people around, I don’t need any food. I feel very energetic. I am perfectly fit and healthy. No BP, no diabetes, no nothing. During campaigning, I did not take any special food. I ate whatever was served to me at different places. Yes, but I did take fruit juice and also coconut water. I couldn’t get my routine health check-up done during the campaigning but by god’s grace, I didn’t suffer any health issues.

-PC Sharma, Congress

Gud-chana, lots of water

My campaign was mainly door-to-door. It meant walking for 20-25 km every day. It was an intense workout. As for meals, it was daal-chawal for me. I snacked on groundnuts, chana and gud. I ensured that I drank at least 5 litres of water every day. I tried to drink only warm water. And I gargled every day.

-Vikram Mastal, Congress

Ladli Behna’s chai energised me

During electioneering, I used to reach home past midnight. And my wife was ready with Dalia and Khichdi. That was my standard diet. I have even lost 5 kg of weight in the course of canvassing. I am a Bhopali and the Bhopalis can’t do without chai. I made it a point to have a cup of tea at the home of one of the Ladli Behnas between 3.00 and 4.00 pm, which energised me. I visited Khushilal Vaidya Ayurvedic Hospital yesterday to take steam. I am sure that with the help of naturopathy, I will be perfectly fit by the time the votes are counted.

-Alok Sharma, BJP