Candidates customizing their campaigns as per the convenience of voters 

 

Mumbai is not witnessing the droves of flag fluttering bikes vrooming past in threatening proposition, neither fiery speeches nor rallies, thanks to the Election Commission’s directives that has put a blanket ban on the use of city’s open spaces. The elections, this time, are less colorful and without any tantrums. No more tod-phod (destroying public properties) and shakti pradarshan. Besides this it is the lack of funds, which means they can’t hire private halls.

  

The only option left with them is to resort to padyatras door-to-door campaigns. Even here too they are facing hiccups: housing societies do not allow them in during the afternoons when residents are resting.

 

Now they are focusing on office-goers at their homes either before they leave for work in the mornings or after they get back home in the evenings. Some are even targetting morning walkers. While they avoid eliciting their grouse against the Election Commission’s decision, they privately confess their campaigning has suffered a battering. 

 

“It has become difficult to reach out to voters,” said Sanjay Nirupam, Congress MP from North Mumbai constituency. “But we have to somehow get our message across. I now plan my padyatras and road shows as per the people’s convenience. I go to residential areas in the mornings, and commercial places in the afternoon. That is the best time to approach shop-owners and traders. In the evenings I hold town halls or go on a padyatra in residential areas.”

 

Shiv Sena nominee from South Central Mumbai, Rahul Shewale, divide his day into three. Mornings are for visits to residential areas, afternoons for strategy meets and evenings for padyatras.

 

“I start visiting residential areas by 9 am and carry on till 2 am,” said Shevale. “Then I take my lunch and have meetings with party workers. On days I don’t have public meetings in the evening, I begin my padyatra after sunset.”

 

Another SS candidate from South Mumbai, Arvind Sawant, said his campaign starts at 6am, and he heads straight to Marine Drive to catch SoBo’s morning walkers.