ACCOMPANIED BY MUSCLEMEN, Kandhal Jadeja, 50, enters the Lord Krishna temple after removing his footwear and sits before a handful of people of Teri village of Kutiyana assembly constituency in Porbandar district. Kutiyana has more than two lakh voters. With his gold-rimmed glasses, silver bracelet and vermillion tika, Jadeja, clad in a light saffron kurta and white salwar, stands out.
“I have nothing to say. If you have any problems, let me know,” says Jadeja. An aide joins in, “Bhai has done your work and he is accessible. Look at him and his work. Vote for the cycle. Why taste a new cobra? He is better.”
Jadeja is the son of Santokben Jadeja, the mafia queen on whose life the Shabana Azmi-starrer Godmother (1999) was based. Jadeja, a two-time MLA, is contesting on a Samajwadi Party ticket as the NCP, on whose ticket he won last time, refused to field him. In the past, he has voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections and justified it, saying, “I want to get the work of my people done.”
This story is from the December 11, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
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This story is from the December 11, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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