“Aamchya umedwarla mat dyal tar Punya chi pragati karal” blares a loudspeaker placed on top of a rickshaw.
The grating voice from a device which needs servicing screeches through the noise and din of Pune’s busy roads. It’s got more frequent these days. Simply because it is election time once again.
The municipal polls will be held on Tuesday and results will be announced on Thursday. Campaigning is at full pitch as D Day nears. Every party is scrambling to gain the extra inch of advantage.
Posters everywhere extol virtues of candidates, even some with shady backgrounds. And our politicians, some who may have given the arduous task of schooling a miss, have graduated to a new level of campaigning – the Social Media network.
Every day, thousands of mobile phones in the city are flooded with messages from candidates. It could be on WhatsApp or Facebook or any other medium. This time videos have apparently become a big hit. These videos range from development work done actually or otherwise by the party, or some kindly act remembered just as the polls got near, or just blatant self-praise.
The Gods are evoked and buttering up is turned into a fine art which would make Amul proud. This media blitz along with other tried and trusted methods have created a buzz in the city.Pune has got noisy. And it continues well into the night.
There are people at street corners discussing their political affinities and sometimes getting into arguments.
Almost everybody in Pune has got vocal and political.
So is it going to be the BJP, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress or Shiv Sena who are going to come up trumps this time?
“It’s all so confusing this time round,” says Mahendra Hingorani, a businessman.”I went with the BJP in the national elections. But I don’t know now. The candidates promise so much but as usual, they never deliver.
“I guess I have to exercise my right. Probably will make a decision later,” he adds. However, Suresh Gaikwad, an auto-rickshaw driver, has already made up his mind and will go with the NCP.
“I think they have done good work in Pune. They have addressed many issues relating to the city and I am happy to go with them again.” Amar Jinde, who works with a law firm, doubts the sincerity of the candidates.
“They suddenly wake up during election time. Otherwise they do nothing,” he says. “This is very disheartening. All this campaigning is one big drama. “I will vote because it is my fundamental right. But I am not happy.
Darshini Subandh, a housewife who lives in Mohammedwadi, is confused. “I can’t understand all this new ward business. This is confusing for me and most of my friends.“I will vote for sure. And I am planning to study all the candidates and this ward thing just before voting. “And I am also looking forward to the day when the campaigning ends. The noise is too much and some of these people continue at odd times in the night,” she said.
“Some of them have criminal records,” says Amit Wadkar, a student. “I shudder to think what they will do when they get elected
“There is no accountability in our country. We need to ban such elements”
“They are not my idea of a politician. We need the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau types. “I am wondering whether I should vote or not,” he adds.
“Every time I go to Facebook, I find these irritating posts on why I should vote for so and so party and its candidates,” Aruna T, a doctor by profession. “This means more pain to the finger as I scroll. Oh why, oh why did they take the social media route?“I will vote for sure. Otherwise who knows, somebody may well call me anti-national you know,” she says.
Ashok G was taken aback when he learnt that the election was just a few days away. “This Tuesday? Are you sure? Oh God. “Be kind and tell me which are the dry days. I need to do my own bandobast.”
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