Crowd-funded his election campaign

Devendra Bhuyar, first-time MLA

Winning an election is not just about money or muscle power and I am living proof of this. I am just 29 and have very limited resources for someone my age. My affidavit shows that my total assets [movable and immovable in my name and my wife's are pegged at R27 lakh, with an outstanding loan of R6 lakh]. Yet, today, I have become the first in Maharashtra to win an election on goodwill and money raised by people of my assembly constituency Morshi, Amravati.

I dared to dream and the people supported that dream. I have quashed the popular perception that elections are all about money and muscle power. It may take years to change popular perception, but it can be changed. Good public rapport, accessibility and dedication towards voters and the constituency [not the kind exhibited by most politicians and candidates for merely a few days before and after the elections] can help you win polls, even without money. I simply went to the people and asked for a chance to serve to the best of my ability.

I was nominated by Raju Shetti's Swabhimani Paksha, and the media tagged me as a giant killer after I defeated sitting BJP MLA and cabinet minister (agriculture) Anil Bonde in the Devendra Fadnavis government. But, I would be happier if I am identified as a people's leader rather than a giant killer.

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