While the mother may have taken 50-plus years to take the plunge into politics, the daughter, at 19, seems quite decided. “If the pathetic state of affairs in India doesn't change in the next six years, I’ll contest my first elections as soon as I cross 25,” says Anahita, Mallika Sarabhai’s daughter.

As soon as Sarabhai had declared to contest as an Independent from the Gandhingar constituency, Anahita took no time to slip into the role of her campaign manager. “It started two to three days before the world came to know about her decision to contest from the Gandhinagar constituency. I had initially taken it as a silly joke when she told me to be prepared,” says Anahita.

“My most important contribution to Ma’s campaign was the number of volunteers that I managed to get during the course of her campaign. We started with five and had nearly 350 people with us as the campaign drew to a close.”

Be it the social networking sites or door-to-door campaigning, Anahita, along with her group of friends, was everywhere recruiting volunteers. Her idea of organising ‘Meet Mallika’ sessions, where people from all walks of life could walk in between 6 and 8 in the evening and discuss their problems, was an instant hit. “We had six such sessions and after every session our volunteer strength grew by at least 10,” adds the youngest Sarabhai.

Anahita and her team of volunteers were also entrusted with generating election funds, especially from among the less privileged sections of society. “We accepted donations of even Rs 5 from slum areas. The money was well-spent; only Rs 3,000 is left of the Rs 25 lakh that we collected.”