Campaign managers: Number twos pave way for number one
De facto campaign managers for candidates and can make or break elections
Flyers and banners for various candidates fill the inner-city streets of Rawalpindi. PHOTO: AGHA MEHROZ/EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Elections are a test of nerves for the staunchest supporters of politicians, as they are the ones who spend tireless days and sleepless nights, coming up with winning, or losing, ideas for their candidates.
They are de facto campaign managers — the right-hand of their candidate, or the ‘number two’ on the campaign, and can make or break an election.
“Our work is to support, motivate and keep voters sticking to our ideology till the last minute,” said Malik Arif, chief assistant to a Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) candidate in UC-74.
Arif explained that routine work for the “number two begins before breakfast, and continues even when they are about to call it a day and go to bed”. Before Election Day, people like us go to bed for just a couple of hours as we are stressed about the day to come, he said.
Riffat Perveen and Nayyar Sultana — two women acting as chief supporters of an independent candidate — said that their day started at around 6:30am, and since then, they were in the field trying to stir up support for their candidate.
While explaining their work, Perveen said they go door-to-door, asked them to make sure to get to polling stations on time and explaining how to cast a vote properly.
Both women said that they had complete support of their families and were in field along with their children. Perveen said she had the complete support of her husband, adding that even her husband has spent little time at home since campaigning started.
When asked about women’s role as chief supporters, Sultana said men can only campaign outside the house, while women campaign inside it. “When women go in the field, the impact is generational,” she said.
Malik Sohail, medical doctor who is the chief supporter of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate, said that a candidate is nothing without his staunchest supporters, as they are the ones who built momentum for the campaign and go the extra mile in order to keep things well managed.
From transportation to camping around polling stations and from food supplies to eagle-eyed oversight of every development, the campaign managers make all arrangements and persistently pave the way for candidates’ success, they said.
“They have to deal with every possible situation, including standing toe-to-toe against rivals face and sometimes after scuffles, spend the night behind bars.
From transportation to camping around polling stations and from food supplies to eagle-eyed oversight of every development, the campaign managers make all arrangements and persistently pave the way for candidates’ success
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2015.
Elections are a test of nerves for the staunchest supporters of politicians, as they are the ones who spend tireless days and sleepless nights, coming up with winning, or losing, ideas for their candidates.
They are de facto campaign managers — the right-hand of their candidate, or the ‘number two’ on the campaign, and can make or break an election.
“Our work is to support, motivate and keep voters sticking to our ideology till the last minute,” said Malik Arif, chief assistant to a Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) candidate in UC-74.
Arif explained that routine work for the “number two begins before breakfast, and continues even when they are about to call it a day and go to bed”. Before Election Day, people like us go to bed for just a couple of hours as we are stressed about the day to come, he said.
Riffat Perveen and Nayyar Sultana — two women acting as chief supporters of an independent candidate — said that their day started at around 6:30am, and since then, they were in the field trying to stir up support for their candidate.
While explaining their work, Perveen said they go door-to-door, asked them to make sure to get to polling stations on time and explaining how to cast a vote properly.
Both women said that they had complete support of their families and were in field along with their children. Perveen said she had the complete support of her husband, adding that even her husband has spent little time at home since campaigning started.
When asked about women’s role as chief supporters, Sultana said men can only campaign outside the house, while women campaign inside it. “When women go in the field, the impact is generational,” she said.
Malik Sohail, medical doctor who is the chief supporter of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate, said that a candidate is nothing without his staunchest supporters, as they are the ones who built momentum for the campaign and go the extra mile in order to keep things well managed.
From transportation to camping around polling stations and from food supplies to eagle-eyed oversight of every development, the campaign managers make all arrangements and persistently pave the way for candidates’ success, they said.
“They have to deal with every possible situation, including standing toe-to-toe against rivals face and sometimes after scuffles, spend the night behind bars.
From transportation to camping around polling stations and from food supplies to eagle-eyed oversight of every development, the campaign managers make all arrangements and persistently pave the way for candidates’ success
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2015.