In the last lap, Divakaran is in no mood to give up

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:

Ethiopia

’s legendary long distance runner Haile Gebrselassie may not have any remote resemblance to the 75-year-old LDF candidate in Thiruvananthapuram C Divakaran. Unknowingly there is one trait Divakaran takes after the runner. Into the final lap of his marathon campaign, Divakaran has a way of masking his tiredness with a smile just like Gebrselassie would when he touched the finishing line.


Divakaran’s biggest challenge has not been Shashi Tharoor or Kummanam Rajasekharan, but his body; a heavily diabetic one which requires administration of insulin twice a day. He has gone through a trail of receptions, corner meetings, house visits, conventions without a break for 23 days and is in no mood to stop. On Sunday, he would take part in a rally from Kazhakkoottam to

Parassala

.

“I know it’s hectic, but I am challenging myself because I have to fight out two popular opponents and I have to win,” he says in measured English, sipping a cup of tea at his neatly maintained office at MLA hostel. It was one of those days he was allowed to relax a bit with just a convention in the evening and some private visits. Divakaran says he reads everything well, his body, his opponents and his politics. “I take good care of my body. I don’t take meat during election campaigns, stick to a meagre diet and keep myself healthy,” he says.

He admits the campaign has taken a toll on him, but that hardly tones down his attack on his opponents. “Tharoor thinks voters are idiots. He is hardly accessible to people, always gives false promises. He is known to be a fluent speaker but he never raised the issue of privatisation of airport or other serious matters,” Divakaran says, mocking the prepoll surveys. “These results come from heaven not from the ground,” he adds.

He hardly mentions BJP. “They don’t have much presence except near temples,” he says as he leaves for Karamana to attend a women’s meet.

At Karamana a huge throng of women awaits him. Devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran calls C Divakaran ‘one among us, our brother with our colour’ to which a party man says, not the same colour minister, comrade has grown darker. Surendran is quick in his reply — “See, he has campaigned so hard and it reflects”. When his turn comes, Divakaran keeps it brief. “They talk about God and all, but you know whose side God takes; poor people’s. Why do crorepatis need God?” he says and the crowd cheers.