’How Milind returned my chana’

Cyrus Broacha gives you the lowdown on his schoolmate and running candidate Milind Deora

My first meeting with Milind was in school, where turning a corner, he dropped my masala channa with extra masala and onion. As I was about five years older, (although now the difference may be just three), I expected him to run with fear from a hungry and ferocious senior, screaming for his life. Instead, he calmly knelt down and picked up all the channa grain and masala for masala. Having in a an orderly and meticulous fashion rendered unto Caesar what is Caesar's, (I had a bit of a receding hairline then, bear in mind), he got up and walked away, dignity and physical well being intact.

Now children, the question is, what do we learn from this almost true story? The answer that Milind is meticulous, calm and confident and more importantly, that I really like channa. He has in his short span of one term, many firsts such as wresting Rs 1,200 crores from the Centre for relaying Mumbai's network. He's initiated the beautification of Marine Drive. and Gateway of India, and pressed Mahanagar Gas Ltd to extend its network over south Mumbai.

He did all this without causing a single shopkeeper to down shutters or one child to stay away from school. He did it all in a meticulous, calm and confident manner and amazingly, there is no packet of chana at the end of the proverbial rainbow he's out to create.

Besides, how many MPs we know can end a speech by rustling up 'Ticket To Ride', 'Riders In The Storm or 'Sultans of Swing' on the guitar? I'm told off the record that if you vote him back in, he'll be available for private functions and kids' birthday parties.

And you won't have to give him a chana.

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