Candidates kiss, bathe kids to impress voters

BY J.R.PRASAD

Hyderabad, March 30: As if the tall promises made in the manifestoes are not enough, politicians are now bathing babies, making dosas and ironing clothes to woo voters.

Some are playing the flute to entertain voters during the campaign trail while others are even sweeping the roads to show their penchant for public service.
Mr Anam Vivekananda Reddy, the Congress MLA and candidate from Nellore rural constituency, offers candies to children during his campaign. The other day he even played flute to entertain children so as to muster the support of their parents.
Whenever he comes across any voter, he calls them by pet names according to their age. The calls range from “hi mama (uncle), hello akka (sister)”. Another Congress MLA and the party’s Jubilee Hills candidate, Mr P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy, on Sunday prepared dosa at a wayside eatery in Krishna Nagar in Hyderabad during his campaign.
The BJP State president, Mr Bandaru Dattatreya, who is contesting from the Secunderabad Lok Sabha seat, is adopting novel methods to garner the support of various sections of people.
When he visits a vegetable market, he starts helping vendors in selling vegetables while seeking their votes.
Same is the case with Mr Dattatreya’s rival and Congress candidate, Mr Anjan Kumar Yadav. He irons cloths on the wayside to give mass appeal to his campaign.
The Congress candidate from LB Nagar Assembly, Mr Sudheer Reddy, is not different from these leaders. He showers kisses on children during his campaign.