Elections have come as an opportunity for people to make a fast buck by participating in rallies and election campaigning. Contestants of various political parties and also independents in various municipal divisions in Karimnagar town are roping in the labourers and other women from various localities and deploying them for election campaigning in their respective wards. Besides, drummers (band team) are also securing employment.
Every contestant is deploying around 30 to 50 members in his campaigning troupe to tour the wards and distribute pamphlets and raise slogans hailing his leadership.
Food and drinks
Each member deployed for the campaign is provided with wages of ₹300 to ₹500 per day and also free lunch in a hotel. The person deployed for the campaigning has to wear the respective party’s cap, shawl and carry the party flag and distribute pamphlets at each household in the locality along with the contesting candidate. While women are given lunch in the afternoon, for the men, contestants host dinner and liquor parties.
Some of the contestants are deploying the labourers from their own municipal divisions where they are contesting so that they can campaign as well as vote in their favour. The labour force engaged in the electioneering process were told to continue taking part in the campaign till the last day on January 22 in Karimnagar town for a premium package.
A woman from Vavilalapalli locality in Karimnagar, campaigning for a party, said that she was touring various localities along with the candidate as part of the electioneering and earning ₹ 300 per day and also lunch. “It is an easy job when compared to working in the construction field from morning to evening,” she said and added that she worked as campaign supporter only during the elections and later she would resume her regular work in the construction field.
A contesting candidate said that the election campaigning has become a very prestigious one in the municipal elections. “We have to show our strength by mobilising the public for electioneering. If we don’t have a huge crowd with us the voters would not believe us. Hence, we are approaching labourers for the campaigning and deploying them in large numbers,” he stated.
