Andhra Pradesh election campaign diary -- I

[koustubbhargav]

By Abhimaan Kashyap

This election season, political campaigns are getting wackier and innovative. After parody of songs with a pinch of sarcasm and humor, political parties are inventing newer methods to attract voters. At YSR’s Miryalaguda road show, some Congress activists were seen holding placards with some catchy slogans.  One read, "Congress is the right choice, baby". A dhoti-clad man held a placard that read: “Development matlab Congress, vote karo sar utha ke”.  Uma Maheswar Reddy, a local youth Congress leader, said these one-liners could be the most effective means of the drawing attention of voters.

Mahbubnagar, April 3: Does the lure of colour TVs fetch votes? Maybe not. The politically conscious electorate of Mahbubnagar want food, drinking water, shelter, health, good education for their children and employment opportunities but not colour TVs. “Why do I need a colour TV? Nenu coolie pani cheskunetonni. Maaku enduku saar colour TV? Naaku na kadupu na pillala kadupu nindale,” says Basavalingam, an agriculture labourer of Achampet.  Migration in this perennially drought-prone district is a major problem. “The Congress government through the NREG programme is trying to curtail the problem,” says Basavalingam innocently. TDP president Chandrababu Naidu in his manifesto states that the idea of giving  colour TVs is to ensure that after a day’s hard work, people should relax by watching television.”  But Basavalingam doesn’t understand Naidu’s noble intentions, and refuses to buy his logic. Ask V Ramulu Goud about the colour TV freebie, he says, “Rekkalu ammu koni bathiketollam. Buvva pettinolla daggarake potham.”

Mimicry in demand

In this season of elections, one tribe is in great demand: mimicry artistes. All political parties have employed cultural troupes to sing parodies from popular movies or mimick the likes of Chandrababu Naidu, Chiranjeevi or Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.  The mimicry artistes either promote their leaders or run down their opponents. In Mahbubnagar, a mimicry artiste in a yellow shirt with a salt and pepper beard  enlivened the otherwise bored crowd. In the skit, the mimicry artiste takes calls from people in the ‘Mee Kosam’ programme. 

Did someone say Chiru charm?He was a ‘Mutha Mestri’, a ‘Shankardada’, a ‘Tagore’, an ‘Indra’. The persona of Chiranjeevi on screen is magical. What do voters think about Chiranjeevi? Will he make another NTR? Jella Radha, ZPTC leader of Amrabad mandal in Achampet constituency says, “I watched most of his movies. I admire him. He is my hero. But I don’t think people will vote for him. At least in Atchampet, he has no base and people do not get carried away by film charm.” “That’s just a show. It’s like watching a matinee show in real life. Once the show is over we have our own problems. I don’t think Chiranjeevi understands our problems.  Rajakeeyam cinema kaadu,” says K Anjaneyulu, ex-MPTC, Amrabad mandal.