A photograph speaks a thousand words. This is a thought Kalidas Kolamkar, a career politician and now a Congress candidate, endorses. “Photograph is very, very important,” he says when told a photographer will take his pictures later in the day.

At his makeshift office in Naigaum, there’s a large crowd at the door for “blessings”. Inside is a huge portrait of Sonia Gandhi. There is a photo of Narayan Rane, too.

Four years since he moved to the Congress from the Sena along with Rane, life has changed. Working in the Sena required more organisational skills as it was homegrown politics high on local gimmickry and state initiatives. Kolmkar attributes a larger national reach to Congress and “mostly work”.

He believes in door-to-door campaigning: “That way they get to speak to me and I to them.” He talks of his constituency in terms of booths. “Matunga with 70 booths” has asked him to address parking problems. “Wadala with over 100 booths” has asked him to propose development of BDD chawls.

Coming from a mill background, Kolamkar is playing his favourite trump card; mills and mill workers. Moving around his constituency, the former PRO with the then American-partnered Modi Store, shares his “achieved targets” as four-time MLA.

“I am telling them housing for mill workers of Spring Mills is going to get a nod. I have been fighting for at least 300 sq-ft homes and zero maintenance for homes for mill workers,” he says, adding, “The Government resolution for Spring Mills is the only thing left.”

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