Unique Campaigns Make Panchayat Polls in Telangana Livelier
Problem due to monkeys in many villages has made the campaigning in Nerella gram panchayat of Kamalapur mandal in Hanamkonda district unique.
Warangal/Karimnagar: With symbols ranging from cricket stumps to scissors, football and lady’s purse to blackboard, waste box, toothpaste and door handle, candidates vying for the posts of sarpanches and ward members in the panchayat elections in erstwhile Warangal and Karimnagar districts are adopting unique ways to attract voters in their favour.
A husband, whose wife is contesting as sarpanch in the Line Thanda village of Mahabubabad district, has embarked on a 200-kilometer walk to help his wife win. What is attracting attention is the husband, Thavu Naik, has partial disability in his left hand and leg since birth. But he started his marathon padayatra three days ago from Guduru in the district.
Problem due to monkeys in many villages has made the campaigning in Nerella gram panchayat of Kamalapur mandal in Hanamkonda district unique. Followers of sarpanch candidate Jetti Nagalakshmi are going around the streets dressed in costumes of chimpanzees and bears.
In addition, Nagalakshmi’s campaigners are actively chasing monkeys out of the village to prove their seriousness. Villagers and youngsters are enjoying the sight, and even taking photos with the candidate and her costumed supporters.
Numerous candidates who had been defeated in the last elections have re-entered the fray, saying this is their last chance to secure victory. They are promising to dedicate themselves entirely to the village’s development.
The campaigning is driving up market prices, particularly of chicken. The cost of chicken per kilogramme has jumped from ₹200 to around ₹260, with cooked chicken costing up to ₹400 to ₹500 in some areas. This spike is due to the heavy demand from candidates who are spending vast sums on non-vegetarian food and alcohol for both voters and their campaigners.
It is estimated that ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore are being spent daily in each of the districts. Over the course of the election, the total expenditure in each district under the erstwhile Warangal and Karimnagar districts could reach between ₹10 crore to ₹15 crore.
Caption for Photo-2a of Puli file-2: Followers of sarpanch candidate Jetti Nagalakshmi and Golkonda Sriram have taken to the streets in chimpanzee and bear costumes in Nerella gram panchayat of Kamalapur mandal in Hanamkonda district.
Caption for Photo-2b of Puli file-2: Thavu Naik on a padayatra in support of his wife Pushpa, who is contesting for the post of sarpanch in Line Thanda village of Guduru mandal in Mahabubabad district.
