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Is your 'bai' on long leave? Blame the 'neta'

Politicians are hiring housemaids for Rs400-Rs500 a day, and providing breakfast and lunch too, till February 14, the last day of election campaigning.

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Be ready to wash your clothes and utensils this week, your maid might just announce all of a sudden that she is going on leave.

Politicians are hiring housemaids for Rs400-Rs500 a day, and providing breakfast and lunch too, till February 14, the last day of election campaigning.

The maids have also been promised Rs200 for three hours if they accompany the candidate on visits in the localities (slums) or gather as a crowd whenever required. Sources say, “They (the maids) are in demand as 50% candidates in civic elections are women and they need a huge number of ‘supporters’ as a crowd in padyatras or to move around during door-to-door campaigns.”

“Slums are the largest vote banks. Every aspirant needs staunch supporters to campaign in such areas. Housemaids come in handy as they are known in these places. They are ready to bunk work for some days for money. On the other hand, the maids are their (candidates’) vote bank too. The stipend actually works as a bribe to ensure their votes,” says a political observer.

Full-time or part-time maids are the backbone of lakhs of families, especially working women, in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane district.

A few have started facing the heat already. Bandra resident Rashmi Tahkur says, “My maid works from 8am to 8pm. She has gone on a week’s leave from Monday and I know where she is.” Thane resident and teacher T Manjusha, says, “I have to do the chores from February 11 to 14 as my helper has taken leave to ‘visit her brother’ at Panvel who seems to fall ill during every election.”

For maids, however, it is an early Diwali. “Two parties have contacted me. I am yet to choose,” says a maid from Andheri. She has been offered Rs500 a day with two meals or Rs200 for two hours of campaigning in the morning or evening.

While candidates deny hiring ‘supporters’, Kandivli resident Mahima Khare, who worked with Congress for a few years but left politics after failing to get an assembly ticket, says, “Maids are always in demand among all political parties.” An MNS leader says, “Our base is strong so we don’t need to resort to such tactics. Parties which lack grass-roots existence need ‘supporters’.”

Demand is more for women who look presentable. A party worker explains, “If such women roam around with the candidate, they will look like party workers and not kaamwali bais.”
 
There are also a few ‘hard workers’ who have accepted offers of two or more parties. “We know some are going with other candidates as well but we too need the crowd,” says a party worker.

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