Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam is the only non-Maharashtrian who plays an important role in the Shiv Sena.
Nirupam, who hails from Bihar, is known for his good relations with Bollywood personalities. In fact, actors Jitendra, Sunil Shetty and Manisha Koirala have agreed to campaign for him in Mumbai North West, from where he is contesting against Congress candidate Sunil Dutt.
He spoke to Contributing Correspondent Vijay Singh.
What campaign accessory do you always travel with?
Since it is summer, I always keep my sunglasses with me. Except that I don't keep anything else, not even my wallet.
What do you do before you set out for the day?
I always do puja at home. It is a routine that I have been following for a long time.
How do you keep fit?
I regularly go to a gym. But for the last 20 days I haven't gone because of my busy election schedule.
But thanks to my election campaign, which makes me run all day, I am able to keep fit.
What do you do to keep your voice in fine fettle?
I don't do anything. What voice I have, I have. I always speak a lot. So it is not new for me to talk a lot during the campaign. I heard Congress leader Rahul Gandhi started vomiting during his election campaign. I am not like that.
What is your favourite mode of transport during the campaign?
I always travel in a Toyota Qualis, and for the campaign we have a rath (a vehicle converted into a rath).
What is the one thing you avoid during the campaign?
I avoid eating non-vegetarian food, and like to have only light food. I also avoid eating oily and spicy food. I fast on Tuesdays. It is something I have been doing for the past 12 years. On Tuesdays I only eat fruits.
Image: Rahil Shaikh