US eunuch joins Gujarat poll pitch

State’s only eunuch candidate  brings in reinforcements for canvassing in Shahpur

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat’s only eunuch poll contestant did not have a political star who could fly in from New Delhi for canvassing, so she sent an SOS to an American in Bangalore. Now, the candidacy of Soniya de Pavaiya, a contestant from Shahpur, will be championed by Elizabeth Jeffords, a 57-year-old eunuch who was once an architect in Colorado. Today, Jeffords is an influential figure in south India’s eunuch community.

Jeffords arrived in Ahmedabad on Friday, accompanied by two of her followers, Yeksha and Pallavi.

“I will help Soniya because she belongs to our fraternity,” Jeffords told DNA. She said that she would scale the language barrier with the help of local translators. “You will find at least ten children following me while I campaign. My full support is with Soniya,” Jeffords said.

Revenue minister Kaushik Patel had beaten Soniya in the last election in the same constituency by a margin of only 3000 votes. This time, Soniya is determined to incorporate the fire power of eunuch notables into her campaign.

“I will invite our leaders who are MLAs and councillors in other states to canvass for me,” Soniya said.

As for Jeffords, her campaign to protect eunuchs’ dignity will resume the moment she returns to Bangalore. “People do not accept eunuchs into the society’s mainstream,” she said. “We should be respected for who we are.”