7-year-old Gayatri campaigns for her father in Ayodhya each morning before her online classes start
Gayatri Pandey is not eligible to vote, but she is rooting for her father and Samajwadi Party candidate Pawan Pandey in the eagerly watched and crucial polls in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.
Every morning, the 7-year-old girl religiously accompanies her father on his door-to-door campaign before returning for her online classes.
"Uncle, mere Papa ko vote dijiyega. Akhilesh (Yadav) ji Chief Minister banenge,to sab kaam hoga (Please vote for my father. When Akhilesh Yadav will become the Chief Minister, all your problems will be resolved)," the girl says, greeting people who open their doors to them.
While the Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced Pawan Pandey as the candidate from Ayodhya, BJP is yet to announce its nominee.
Pawan Pandey, as a student leader of Lucknow University, had won 2012 Assembly polls from the seat by defeating BJP's Lallu Singh and became a minister in Akhilesh Yadav's cabinet. He, however, lost to BJP's Ved Prakash Gupta in 2017.
Considering that the stakes are high for her father, Mr Pandey's daughter is doing her bit to ensure he wins the upcoming polls.
"Gayatri wakes up at 6 am without any wake-up calls and gets ready. She goes out for campaigning with her father before her online classes start at 9:30 am. Though these are difficult times because of the pandemic, we still let her go out after taking all precautions since she is too excited to be a part of the campaigning," Pawan Pandey's wife told news agency PTI.
Although Gayatri's presence usually draws an overwhelming response from the people, there are times when residents get angry when candidates knock on their doors early morning as part of the campaigning.
Though she is aware of those who are in Opposition to her father, the young girl does not like to comment on PM Modi or Yogi Adityanath. She innocently adds that her "Papa is the best candidate and Akhilesh Yadav will be the best Chief Minister".
Asked about his daughter's campaigning, Pawan Pandey said, "I have been in Ayodhya since 2012. I am there for the cause of people. In this difficult Covid period, though my wife and I insist her to remain at home, she gets ready for campaigning in the morning before us."
Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in seven phases beginning February 10. The election in the Ayodhya constituency will be held in the fifth phase on February 27.