The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TV adds pep to Majlis campaign

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 05, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TV adds pep to Majlis campaign

By Our Staff Reporter

A majlis worker with a TV set, the party election symbol, at a roadside meeting addressed by the MLA, Akbaruddin Owaisi.

HYDERABAD, OCT. 4. Helmet enforcement is still a month away, but a new headgear seems to have hit the city. Men going around wearing TV sets.

Strange, but true. It is Majlis way of taking the bull by the horns. The party, which was initially upset over the change of its traditional election symbol, has decided to turn adversity into advantage.

The Majlis has hit upon a novel method of popularising its election symbol, the television. Its workers are seen going around the Asifnagar constituency donning the exterior frame of TV sets. The party is euphoric that it doesn't have to do much to popularise its new symbol. Television is one thing that few takes eyes off and that is half battle won.

The Majlis has pepped up the election scene in Asifnagar with the telly. It has engaged half-a-dozen autorickshwas, which carry its symbol, not a dummy TV, but a real one on the top. Autos stop at street corners and switch on the small screen. The party veteran, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, comes on the screen and appeals people to vote for the Majlis in Asifnagar. Video clippings of the election meetings addressed by Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, Akbaruddin Owaisi, the party's floor leader in Assembly, and other MLAs are flashed. People stay glued to the idiot box and watch the action till the auto moves on.

The Majlis has also put up huge TV type screens at its headquarters in Darussalam and at its election office in Bazar Guard. The telly carries the scroll urging people to vote for the Majlis candidate, Moazam Khan. Besides, party workers are seen moving in the constituency on two-wheelers with the TV cutouts attached in the front. In the days to come, the party plans to adore the skyline with TV cutouts. As for the audio publicity goes, the Majlis is playing the old cassette with songs set to film tunes. Only the word "kite" is replaced with "television".

The Majlis campaign is slowly hotting up with all its four MLAs and MP taking to the road. The party is concentrating more on door-to-door canvassing followed by public meetings during night. How is the response? "It is very encouraging", says an upbeat Moazam Khan.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh