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I have no political baggage, that’s an advantage: Sharmistha Mukherjee
New Delhi: From the sublime world of the arts to the hurly burly of politics. Sharmistha Mukherjee, Congress candidate for the Greater Kailash assembly constituency here and President Pranab Mukherjee’s daughter, is ready to tackle real-time problems of blocked drains, congested traffic and parking woes as she makes her debut in electoral politics.
Mukherjee, an accomplished Kathak dancer who has led dance troupes around the world, was named a candidate Thursday for the constituency by the Congress party. She is pitted against Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Saurabh Bhardwaj, a former Delhi minister, for the Feb 7 poll.
And contrary to popular perception, she does not stay in Rashtrapati Bhavan but in Greater Kailash-Part II.
“I am staying in GK-II since 1986. I face the same problems like others do, of blocked drains, parking space crunch, congested roads,” Mukherjee told IANS in an interview at the local party office.
Though she is relatively new to the political arena, having joined the Congress formally last June, Mukherjee says she is not new to politics and has grown up with it – her father has been a veteran Congress leader and her brother, Abhijit Mukherjee, is a Congress MP.
Mukherjee, 49, does not feel her lack of political experience could be a hindrance to getting votes. “I am a fresh face. I have no baggage. In today’s context that is an advantage.”
Since she joined the Congress, Mukherjee says she has plunged wholeheartedly into meeting party workers, interacting with people as well as holding “sawaal-jawaab” (question-answer) sessions.
“I am already reaching out to people through sawaal-jawab sessions. Very often I attend three-four such sessions. These are small gatherings of 20-25 people,” she said.
Mukherjee, who swears by the Congress ideology, feels that a candidate has a major role to play in influencing voters’ choice.
“Candidates play a major role. People want to know if the candidate is genuine, his or her capability, and if the candidate has enough clout to get things done, and also accessibility.. Most voters I have found are not party to any strong ideology,” she said, adding that she was aiming to influence such voters.
Being a Bengali, Mukherjee is hoping to attract the 20,000-odd Bengali voters in the constituency, mostly in Chittaranjan Park and also in Chirag Dilli and Kalkaji areas.
Mukherjee, who expresses confidence in pulling off a win, says she feels it won’t be a triangular fight with the AAP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but only between the BJP and Congress. “AAP is not such a big factor here.”
She also dismissed any “Modi wave” in her constituency.
If elected, Mukherjee plans to sit with the Resident Welfare Associations and concerned citizens to form a “team of experts” to deal with problems of parking, traffic bottlenecks, women’s security, poor lighting, cleanliness, especially in slum clusters like Jagdamba Camp in Sheikh Sarai.
She feels the crowded roads could be well served by implementing the one-direction traffic flow, like in Kolkata.
Mukherjee, who has a personal security officer accompanying her always, has taken to social media in a big way to connect with her electorate.
“I have a team of young and enthusiastic volunteers who are looking after my social media page. My twitter account (@Sharmistha_GK) is an active handle,” said Mukherjee, whose Facebook page is SharmisthaGK.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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