Hyderabad: All parties in the fray in the forthcoming GHMC elections are getting campaign vehicles modified to suit their needs. Apart from photographs of party leaders, symbols and slogans, the modified cars are fitted with public address systems used for both speeches and playing of party songs.
The TRS has got ready a pink coloured car for election campaign with photos of party president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and TRS MP K. Kavitha.The five-seater car has the provision for leaders to address roadside election meetings standing on a platform created on the back of the car.
The fact that the party’s election symbol is a ‘car’ is an added advantage for the TRS; the modifier doesn’t need to make a cutout of the party symbol. The TRS election vehicle parked at the Telangana Bhavan also has the slogans: “TRS...vote for car...Let us make a Bangaru Telangana, Jai Telangana...Long live Telangana Martyrs” along with a map of the state on the bonnet.
“It’s an old vehicle. It has been modified for the GHMC elections,” a TRS leader disclosed. Asked why it only had photos of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao and Ms Kavita, the TRS leader feigned ignorance. “Maybe it will be used exclusively by Kavita garu. I don’t know,” he said.
BJP, Congress, Telugu Desam, MIM and others too are busy modifying old vehicles for the campaign. The TD has dumped its age-old “Chaitanya Ratham” used by NTR and the party’s leaders are now moving in sleek new vehicles. Modification of cars for the election campaign costs between '3.5 lakh to '5 lakh, depending on the features, said a modifier.
“I modified a car for the election campaign. A Mahindra Bolero SUV costs about '8 lakh. The modification came to '3.5 lakh, including fitting the PA system,” said BJP MLC N. Ramachander Rao. Car makers specialising in modification of vehicles for elections are in great demand these days. Old jeeps and other vehicles are modified for campaign.
“Mahindra and Tata vehicles are most suitable for modifications and most sought-after. They are sturdy vehicles. The vehicles are modified depending on the customer’s preference. It costs between '3 lakh to 5 lakh,” said Ramesh, a representative of a car company.
National leaders to hit the streets
The BJP and Congress plan to utilise the services of their national leaders for the GHMC election campaign.
While Union minister Nitin Gadkari has already taken time off his busy schedule to address an election rally in Anandbagh of Malkajgiri, BJP sources said that his colleagues Bandaru Dattareya and M. Venkaiah Naidu are a cinch in the party’s campaign plans.
“A host of BJP’s national leaders would campaign in the GHMC elections. Mr Gadkari was the first of many Union ministers,” said Ramachander Rao, BJP MLC.
Congress sources said that Digvijay Singh, Gulam Nabi Azad and party’s other national leaders too would hit the road soon.
Asked whether AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi would also campaign, a senior Congress leader said no decision on this has been taken by the party as of now. “Some national leaders would certainly campaign,” he said.
Meanwhile, the TRS, led by panchayat raj minister K.T. Rama Rao, is way ahead in the campaign race, with ministers hitting the road with a spree of foundation stones and opening ceremonies across the city since the past month.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is expected to hit the road next week.
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