Bengaluru: Like Prime Minister Modi, the upcoming Assembly by-elections is all set to feature its own chaiwala-turned-politician. Syed Asif Bukhari, a 46-year-old independent candidate, hails from a family of chaiwalas and currently works as one himself. Despite his humble beginnings, this is not Bukhari’s first rodeo, as he has previously contested in over eight municipal elections. This time around, his eighth battle will be from the Shivajinagar Assembly constituency in Bengaluru.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Bukhari (who is a BA graduate in political science) recounted his tea-selling business woes. He said, “I used to run a tea shop near Johnson Market, but due to loss, I had to shut it. Now I am working at a tea stall near Ashok Nagar in Shanthinagar. I stay in a joint family.”
Bukhari also laid out his hectic campaigning schedule in the TNIE report. “From 9 am to 6 pm, I work at the tea stall. In the evening, I go campaigning. I am taking leave from Friday for ten days so that I can focus on my campaign,” he said.
Surprisingly, this chaiwala remains undeterred even after facing multiple electoral losses. “Participation is important. I will get to meet many people during the campaigns,” he added.
Being a former party worker for the Congress and JD(S), Bukhari is now critical of the state’s political establishment. “These parties used us. When we wanted help, they just looked the other way. That was when I decided to move on,” he said.
Talking about the issues that have forced him to contest in the by-polls, Bukhari said, “I have 810 videos which I shot in the last six or seven years. It could be a pothole or drainage, traffic signal or manhole, I shoot and bring it to the notice of the authorities concerned.”
Apart from being an aspiring candidate, Bukhari’s dreams involve running his own tea shop.