There is a mechanism in place that Ganesh notices and then exploits. Because of the desperation and poverty of his class, he knows firsthand that people need miraculous healings, and he knows that they need hope more than all else. Therefore, he can pretend to do healings, and they will work sometimes just by placebo effect. Also, people are willing to blatantly ignore failure in blind hope for success. The result is exponential. He quickly becomes one of the most powerful representatives of his people.
However, that's a tragedy. For him it means success and luxury. It means freedom, and freedom from tyranny. But for his people, it means another politician who was willing to lie, cheat and steal to get where he was. The clearest indication of Ganesh's personality is that he begs for a bigger dowry when he marries his young wife.
The tyrannical relationship between religious hypocrites and politicians is demonstrated fairly effectively in the novel, showing how the two roles are essentially the same. The verdict on these types of power is clear—Ganesh instantly realizes that the only way to make money as a politician is by accepting bribes from powerful businesses who wish to exploit the lower class.
