Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu:

While the high-speed campaign of tall political leaders grabs the headlines in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a Padma Shri awardee who is contesting as an independent candidate from Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha constituency has made the rounds by interacting with vegetable vendors, flower growers He is campaigning by making garlands and selling vegetables. .

S. Damodaran, 62, who hails from Tiruchirappalli, is contesting this election under the banner of Gas Stove, was seen soliciting votes from people and vegetable vendors at Gandhi Market in the city.

“I am an independent candidate from Trichy Constituency. I am son of soil. I belong to Trichy city. I am working as Associate Service Volunteer in Sanitation Center for more than 40 years. I have started my career. It started at the age of 62. I am now 62 years old.

# See | Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu: Independent candidate from Tiruchi Lok Sabha seat Padma Shri S. Damodaran is busy making flower garlands and selling vegetables as part of the election campaign. pic.twitter.com/9iARbrat1O

— ANI (@ANI) 11 April 2024

Elaborating on his career, Mr. Damodaran said, “I have been working as an Associate Service Volunteer at the Sanitation Center for over 40 years. I started my career at the age of 21. I am now 62. At the age of 60. I received the Padma Shri award from the then President of India Ram Nath Kovind, I was involved in providing access to water and sanitation facilities in rural and urban areas. “

Mr. Damodaran shared that he started his social service at the age of 21 and served under nine Prime Ministers in his lifetime.

“I started my social service at the age of 21, when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. I have seen nine Prime Ministers in my lifetime. I have worked under all centrally sponsored rural sanitation programs and every made the village a role model village,” he said.

Talking about his unique campaign, Domdaran said, “Today I have started my campaign from the Gandhi Market area, which falls under my parliamentary constituency. Wherever I go, I am getting a warm welcome. “

On the major projects he wants to take forward in Tiruchirappalli if voted for, Mr. Damodaran said, “We need to work to make Trichy a clean and green city. People color the city. are demanding the road as it is centrally located and many buses and transport vehicles pass through Trichy…we are also working on flyovers in important areas of Trichy city.”

The Central Government awarded S. Damodaran with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honor in the Padma series of awards, for outstanding services in the field of social work.

The award was given “in recognition of his services as a social worker who has dedicated his life to the promotion of sanitation in the villages and slums of South India.”

(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)