Sawai, Madhopur:
In his jodhpurs, Olympic medallist Rajyavardan Singh Rathore who joined the BJP last month, still doesn't look like a politician, but he says he's learning fast on the job.
Along with learning to say 'namaste' to all, and to smile, Rathore, who won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics, says he is picking up tips daily- like keeping something to eat in his bag. "My wife will be happy as I am much more social now,'' he jokes, while speaking to NDTV in Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan.
It is Rathore's first campaign trail and after three weeks he says he has realised how tough it is. After joining the BJP, he's speaking at all major rallies for Vasundhara Raje and has been campaigning here for former royal Diya Kumari. "I try to speak from my heart but sometimes it doesn't come out that way," he says quite candidly.
When asked why he supports Narendra Modi, BJP's prime ministerial candidate, he says, "I am an army man and I quickly take sides instead of walking a tightrope. I took that side because Modi is decisive and a doer."
Rathore refers to the Congress as 'the other party' and is very critical of what he sees as their communal politics. "They say they are working towards the upliftment of minorities, but that community is where it was," he says.
When asked specifically about Rahul Gandhi, he says, "He seems to be a good man but he's not doing much."