Maharashtra Elections and the Political Foot Soldiers

With Maharashtra approaching the elections, Rakesh, a loyalist of a minister from the Konkan region, struggles to find party workers for his boss. Previously, attracting workers with cash and perks was easy, but now they demand high prices. While some remain at the lower end, others have become more sophisticated.

A political party’s survival hinges on its ideology and its foot soldiers. These workers are crucial in shaping the party’s image and influencing voters. Despite their significant role, their contributions are often overlooked, with their efforts only highlighted when beneficial to their leaders. Political parties survive or get decimated electorally when the apparent link between the party and its foot soldier becomes disenchanted or dysfunctional.

Today, the ideology of a political party remains a distant second. The life of an average political worker today bears no similarities with those who laid down their lives for an independent and democratic India. Political workers cutting across all party lines have one thing in common—they do not want a pat on their back by their leader; they not only want political recognition but also a piece of the cake, the cake being power.

A political worker’s success hinges on their connections with mentors and their ability to spot growth opportunities. Equally important is their agility to navigate a competitive, unpredictable environment. Mastering manoeuvering through diverse, self-interested individuals is a complex art that takes years to perfect.

Presenting a few kinds of party workers that continue to be in demand.

The Rural Party Worker: This political worker aligns with leaders from their village or surrounding areas, focussing on rural issues like farming, crop prices, farming land acquisitions, etc. They feel more inclined to the party that shares their concerns, often having limited choice and supporting the parties as their local leaders.

The Urban Party Worker: This worker, spoilt for choice, is more about networking and using the connections to make monetary gains. The *urban party worker may generally be someone from sectors like real estate, education, non-profits, entrepreneurs, and those hailing from creative fields like art, cinema, and theatre.

The Loyal Party Worker: A loyal party worker falls into two types: loyalty to a leader or the party. Leader-loyal workers follow their leader regardless of party affiliation, while party-loyal workers stay committed to the party, no matter the circumstances. The full-time party worker is fully dedicated to the party’s ideology and cause, believing they must give their all. Many male workers, for example, even choose to remain unmarried to devote themselves entirely to their party.

The Part-Time Party Worker: This worker spends evenings at local parties or public relations offices commonly called jan sampark karyalayas, often after a full-time job, and collects funds for events hosted by his leaders. He takes pride in showing off his busy schedule and connections, contributing when possible. Power brokers in this category may switch party loyalty based on the moolah they make or their financial gain.

The ‘Staying on the Sidelines’ Party Worker: This party worker neither has a membership in any party nor is loyal to any one leader or party. Instead, they remain at the side, watching and staying close to leaders and parties that come to power. Their dedication is shortlived and fleeting.

The Election Party Worker: This category is known to become active only during elections, using that time to their full benefit. This is when party workers make the most money possible—through election campaigns and election rallies. Leaders contesting elections are known to spend astronomical amounts during campaigning, and an election party worker is a godsend to them.

The Social Media Party Worker: For this party worker, their mobile phone is their weapon of choice. They are very active on social media, and for their political boss, the party often becomes their project. They are silent observers, and hawks, creating a persona of their political masters and their ambitions screening on the world wide web.

(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)