Many candidates have roped in women who work as domestic helps, for daily morchas and door-to-door campaigning. Candidates of all parties - and even Independents - are feeling the need for more faces in their rallies as voting day draws closer, making it business season for hundreds of women who are paid 10 times higher than what they earn each month doing domestic chores. They are paid depending on the area, just like Mumbai's real estate prices. Sources said women working for political parties in South Mumbai earn Rs 800-1,000 per day, those campaigning for political parties in the central suburbs receive Rs 500-600 per day, and in the suburbs it is anywhere between Rs 300-500. The lure of quick money has prompted many of them to report sick at work, while others rush through their chores to report in time for campaigning.
"Most of us have given some or the other excuse and taken leave from our employers. This is an opportunity to extract money from corrupt politicians which comes once in five years and I feel we should not leave this chance,'' said Neha, a domestic help from South Mumbai.
She said not only were the working hours very brief, only from 11am to 5pm, but political parties also provided them two meals a day for each day that they were involved in campaigning.
But the mass absenteeism in the last few days has sent many Mumbaikars' schedules haywire. "Ever since campaigning has started, our domestic help has stopped coming to work. My wife and I run an export business and we are facing a tough time at home. Initially we would have lunch outside but now we even order dinner,'' said Kiran Choksi, a resident of Nepensea Road.
"Many of the domestic help have been working sincerely, honestly in the same house for years together. But politicians can spoil any damn thing, even the smooth environment of the house. Today these housekeepers are used for rallies, morchas, public sabhas to distribution of voter cards, pamphlets etc and are paid on an hourly, daily or work basis. A politician trying to impress senior leaders can easily use this strategy. All it takes is Rs 500-1,000 per day to disturb the sincerity of these very important people, making them forget that these politicians will woo them only after every five years for a limited period of time, whereas the lady and other members of a house are with them for every moment. Such political strategy has left every house helpless," said Kalpana Joshi, a Mulund homemaker.
Sabeeha Nomani, a homemaker from Kalina said, "Our maid now comes very early in the morning, sometimes even before we finish breakfast, as she is in a hurry to reach the party office where her duty starts at 11am.''
Drivers too are in great demand and are making the most of the business opportunity.
"Our driver, who lives in Dharavi, has told us that he is unwell, but our source said he is very well and busy campaigning for a party where he earns Rs 1,000 per day,'' said Ritesh Sanghvi, a resident of Ghatkopar.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Domestic help,Assembly elections
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