Ranchi:
In this national election, much has been made of
Narendra Modi's rise from a simple tea-seller to the top contender for Prime Minister.
In a small district in Jharkhand, 50 kms from the capital of Ranchi, a woman tea-seller is also running for office.
Dayamani Barla usually spends her days offering tea for Rs 5 at a small stall in Ranchi.
But recently, the 44-year-old has been campaigning door-to-door in the surrounding villages , asking people to elect her to parliament. (
Full Coverage: India Votes 2014)
Ms Barla is a member of
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party or AAP. No drums or convoy accompany her. She carries the party symbol of a broom with her, urging voters to pick her in the confidence that she will work to sweep away corruption. She tells her prospective voters , "We are the only alternative when it comes to providing representatives who will work honestly for causes that affect the everyday lives of people."
She has never contested an election before this. She's taking on a veteran - Kariya Munda of the BJP, who has represented this constituency seven times in parliament and served as the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. (
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In this part of Jharkhand, where Naxalism is embedded, Ms Barla has worked as a journalist and more recently, an activist, leading a successful campaign to stop the construction of a dam that would have displaced more than 100,000 tribal families.
"She was there with us when we were under threat of being displaced from our homes . If she wins it will be a victory for all of us, " says Budhwa Kujur , and old man in a village
Not everyone is a supporter. " I agreed she stopped land acquisition and saved forests. But because of that, we have seen no development. No factories. No industries," says Madhusudhan Kumar.
Ms Birla's veteran opponent has been accused of ignoring his constituency, failing to deliver new roads and other much-needed infrastructure. "The centre can only send money. It is the state government that has to implement schemes," he said in his defence.