Ballari: With only Rs 10,000 in his bank account for campaigning, a native of Ballari, D Durga Prasad, who is contesting the by-election to the Lok Sabha (LS) seat from Amritsar wants to be Prime Minister of the country!
Durga Prasad, 50, a resident of Cowl Bazar area in Ballari is a jeans cloth merchant. Prasad has promised to wipe out the drug menace from Punjab. An engineering graduate, he is the founder of the Challenger Party.
He has a few supporters and his campaign begins in the morning, as he meets and talks to people on roads and in markets. He told Deccan Chronicle that he was allotted 'Almirah' as election symbol. He has learned a few Punjabi words, which help him speak in the local lingo. While campaigning, he interacts with people and asks them to vote for 'Almaari'.Prasad has been campaigning without spending a penny. He walks on city roads throughout the day and interacts with the public. However, he never asks police to come along with him for security, since he can't look after their expenses.
He did not get any posters published for his campaign. "I have only Rs 10,000 for campaigning, besides meeting my expenses for staying here."
He claimed that 90 per cent people have assured him of their vote. Prasad also has a manifesto in which he promises to make Amritsar a model city.
While interacting with a rickshaw puller he said. "I will make Amritsar a model city. People will forget Chandigarh. All work of the city can be done at the local level. It will be like a capital town," said Prasad.
"Punjabis are good people. They welcome all. I request the public to make me victorious to become MP from Amritsar," he said, adding, "I don't have any particular ideology. I am tolerant to all. I will work for justice, law and order and reforms."
Prasad wants to be Prime Minister. After reading about polling in Amritsar in newspapers he went all the way from Karnataka to contest elections in the holy city. Presently, he is staying in a dharamshala. Prasad is contesting election for the first time.
The Amritsar Lok Sabha by-election, is being held on February 4 along with state assembly polls. The by-poll was necessitated following the resignation of Congress Punjab president Amarinder Singh from the Lok Sabha on November 23.
