Candidates thrive on light diet meals for summer-time poll campaign

It’s a frugal diet for ex-national cricket skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla before he starts his daily campaign in North Howrah on a bike along with a handful of Trinamool Congress supporters. Shukla —contesting for the first time in the upcoming Assembly polls—is a on a diet these days because he walks his wards for hours every day in the gruelling heat. Keeping himself hydrated with daaber jol and water frequently, he thrives on liquor tea and biscuits and idli-dosa or poha which he has for breakfast. 

For lunch, the ace all rounder has a simple vegetarian lunch comprising of rice, dal and fried vegetables. Shukla does not forget his regular workout though and does cardio exercises and cycling at his home gym daily in the morning for 40 minutes or so before going out canvassing. He used to work out longer though during his cricketing days, he admits.

Sovondeb Chattopadhyay, the sitting Chief whip of the Trinamool Congress in the Vidhan Sabha and a veteran MLA, is a pro at walking in the heat for miles though. “I survive on fruits and a shorbot made by mixing salt and sugar with water during the campaigns. A simple Bengali lunch after the morning ward-visits keeps me going in the heat”, Chattopadhyay told Millennium Post. 

Another new Trinamool Congress candidate, Vaishali Dalmiya, who is canvassing for at least 12 hours a day in her constituency—Bally-Liluah, offers puja every morning since it is a great stress buster. “I do not get the time to work out in the gym nowadays but I used to play a lot of sports earlier. From Kabaddi to tennis to long brisk walking, I have done everything for fitness. That could be the reason why I’m fit and flexible now”, Dalmiya, daughter of the late cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya told Millennium Post. 

A frugal eater, Dalmiya thrives on liquor tea and biscuits and a light snack of puffed rice in the morning. She likes soup and kebabs for lunch but avoids taking any heavy meals before dinner which happens quite late after she returns to her Kolkata home.  Chandranath Sinha, sitting Trinamool Congress MLA from Bolpur, visits about 20 to 25 villages every day for his campaign. “I thrive on water and liquor tea and biscuits and also muri”, said the Trinamool Congress candidate, who often skips his lunch. He usually has his dinner after returning home to Bolpur after 8 pm in the evening.