"Be at the TB by 6 am. Sir will leave by 6.30." For someone who is not a morning person, it was an indication that it was going to be a very long day. But I was covering the campaign trail of Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy and the timing was non-negotiable.
We had been in touch with different members of his staff and had explained many times over the concept of our coverage - it wasn't just an interview, it wasn't just covering a campaign speech. It was an attempt to convey what a campaign day was like and to see the response of the voters - and record the colours, sights and sounds of an Indian election campaign.
We reached the TB or Government Travellers' Bungalow. Police and their vehicles were on standby. Men in white
mundus were outside the Chief Minister's door. He came out at 6:20 am - a quick introduction and we were on our way, chasing Chandy.
The first stop was the impressive St George's Church in Kottatam town where a festival was in progress. "I come here every Sunday," he said.
Then it was back in the car zooming on to his constituency of Puttupally.
Kottayam district in Kerala is beautiful. The green all around, the winding roads that take you through the countryside are balm to eyes like mine tired by Bengaluru's urban mess.
The first stop in Puttupally was the little town of Oruvackal. Men and women were on drums, playing a catchy beat. The stop was to allow him to visit a bed-ridden party man. And it allowed us to set up the OB van and do a couple of live reports. And have breakfast (
appam and
chutney - and the hot water that is a staple in Kerala.)
The pattern was small meetings in tiny hamlets - no big rallies. Chandy has been elected to this constituency 10 times in a row and he and his team are clearly confident about making it an 11th consecutive term. And so, he has not campaigned much in the place where he is know as "the little one".
At one stop, we persuaded Team Chandy to let us climb into and shoot from his open jeep campaign
vehicle.
We came across a small open truck with young musicians singing songs in praise of Chandy and critical of the opposition. I climbed on to record a report, while camera person Govind stayed on the ground. Unexpectedly, the truck began to move away, with me on it. Both Govind and I want on recording as if this was part of the plan. After I signed off, I asked them to stop and let me down!
We headed to a home where Chandy was expected for lunch. Nearby was a tiny hotel where we refuelled ourselves with a meal of boiled rice, vegetable
sambar and buttermilk. And hot water of course. Drinking hot instead of cold water sometimes seems counterintuitive in the heat of a Kerala summer. But the natives must know best.
The wait for Chandy was a long one. He was expected at 2 pm. We were there by 1:30. I was asked to wait inside the house with the kindness often shown to strangers, particularly women reporters, in a small town. It was shelter from the heat, cold water and even an offer of lunch. Two lovely little girls came and practiced their English, while their smiling grandmother came and communicated with me as best as we could manage with no common language.
Post-lunch was meant to be our interview slot. So it was with some panic that we realized the Chief Minister was leaving again. We intercepted him, persuaded him to speak and did our interview on the move. A young admirer of Chandy, walking backwards, fell into a ditch as we were recording. He was pulled out unharmed - and demanded a selfie with Chandy as his reward.
I asked the Chief Minister about the horrific rape and murder of a young Dalit student in Perumbavoor near Kochi - a still unsolved case that has raised questions about the safety of women in the state. He insisted that Kerala was safe - that it had a good safety record for which it has won awards during his five-year term. He also said the state police would catch the culprit so there was no need to call in the CBI.
On corruption - an issue raised frequently by the opposition, given the allegations faced by the UDF government - Chandy said he has repeatedly expressed his willingness for a judicial probe - but that the opposition itself had backed down. "The people know the truth," he said, before wading his way the through enthusiastic supporters to get back onto the open jeep.
Before leaving I went to say thank you and goodbye to the smiling grandmother. She grabbed me and have me a hug and kiss. I left that little village with a warm feeling that had nothing to do with the afternoon heat.
(Maya Sharma is NDTV's Resident Editor in Bengaluru)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.