He follows First Citizen like shadow

Mayor's Man Friday

This man dressed in white suit and a red robe with a badge reading Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has been serving the mayors for the last one decade or so.

From helping the mayor wear the robe to accompanying the first citizen on tours and to taking care of the personal needs and wants, Dafedar Boraiah has done it all
Standing right at the door of the council hall, he did not have the time to move even for minutes from that place on mayor Manjunath Reddy’s first day in office on Friday.

 “No. Please wait outside till the mayor comes. I cannot let you inside right now,” Boraiah said when the reporter approached him. Little did he know that it was his interview that was being sought. “Why me?” came his immediate reaction when Deccan Herald sought his time for a while for a short interaction.

“I accompany the mayors wherever they go. I am like a personal assistant who is right there when they need me.” the man said with a smile on his face. Working overtime is not new to Boraiah who has been working for BBMP for the past 32 years. However, he does not complain.

Ask him about his work hours and the man says, “There are no timings. I come when the mayor needs my assistance and stay here as long as he/she is in office. I also accompany them on tours.”

Boriah, a Class 10 dropout, is a native of Mandya district. He’s been began working for the BBMP at a salary of Rs 10,000, he said pulling out the mayor’s robe from a cupboard to hand it over to the first citizen.

Boriah has two children and is a resident of Bapujinagar on Mysuru Road. Ask him about his family and Boriah says “I have two children, both are graduates,” he signs off.