Keralam

14 Mar 2011

When it comes to digging info on Kerala and electoral politics that pertains to Congress there is nothing to beat the data sets stored in the computer of Madhusoodan Mistry. Mistry's computer has all the details about the assembly constituencies in the state, the bio-data of probable Congress candidates and the work they have done for the party. The AICC general secretary who was appointed as in charge of Kerala is a mystery figure for local Congress party workers. Many wonder why Sonia Gandhi send an unknown Gujarati to the state instead of usual Congress veterans.
Well known as a budget and data analyst, Mistry's computer has a detailed study of the last Kerala budget presented by state Finance Minister Thomas Issac. It also holds detailed analysis of 19 other state budgets, Mistry says. Mistry can see through Issac's gimmicks, but wont reveal anything because he is just a poll observer. Mistry has only been to Kerala two times. All short visits mandatory as a Parliament Committee member. He was the centre of attraction at the election committee meeting held at Indira Bhavan the other day. He looks like a South Indian, many quipped. They are right, says Mistry. Someone once asked him for directions in Tamil when he was walking on a road in Tamil Nadu. People from Karnataka tries to warm up to him by speaking Kannada.

Mistry, who started his career as a college lecturer has many stories to share. He was orphaned in 1947, when his father went missing in the communal riots. He struggled a lot in his childhood growing up under the protection of his uncle who brought him up. He earned a scholarship to study in England where he worked for Oxfam, a voluntary organisation. Mistry organised tribals in Gujarat and helped earn them land rights and benefits including minimum wage for their labour. He joined the Congress party after working for two decades as a trade union leader among mill workers and laborers in construction sector. He entered the Lok Sabha from the Himmat Nagar constituency. Mistry was deemed a representative of minorities after he, a member of Viswakarma community opposed Narendra Modi.

Sonia chose him as a chief whip and later he was elected into the party pinnacle - the Congress Working Committee. He was then given responsibility for Kerala and Karnataka. His expertise in data analaysing came handy while deciding candidates. Mistry feeds his computer with even minute details regarding eligible party workers. He is well versed in political history of Kerala and its constituencies. It is nearly impossible for anyone to fool him by feeding wrong info on the state. He might just catch you redhanded.