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PMC polls: Chopper rides, trips to religious places to attract voters
Aspirant candidates have planned chopper rides, trip to religious places, sari distribution and cultural programmes appease voters in the run-up to the PMC poll 2022, slated for February
PUNE: Aspirant candidates come up with fresh ideas to reach out or appease voters during the election season. Helicopter rides, trip to religious places, sari distribution and cultural programmes are highlights in the run-up to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) poll 2022, slated for February.
Many political workers are also trying to encash festive season such as Diwali by announcing the killa (fort) making competition and other games.
Some hoardings put up across the city by candidates have announced helicopter ride as prize for winner in the killa making competition.
Mauli Darwatkar from Padmavati-Chavannagar area, a Shiv Sena leader and civic poll aspirant, said, “I have organised a competition for fort making and will give chopper ride to the winning kids. I had introduced this innovating prize a few years ago.”
Darwatkar, who has been organising fort making competition for the past three years, gave helicopter rides to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s forts to previous winners.
“We had organised programmes at Sinhgad and Sindhudurg forts. Former union minister Suresh Prabhu appreciated the event. Others are trying to copy it.”
Yogesh Borate, another PMC poll aspirant from Warje, said, “During Navratri, I organised trips to various temples. It received a good response. I plan to organise Paithani sari winning competition.”
However, not many have endorsed the move.
Former Pune mayor and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ankush Kakade termed these programmes as a wrong trend. “I have been observing the last eight to nine municipal elections. Earlier, contesting these polls was low cost. Now, money and muscle power are important. Every aspirant is spending huge money even before the ticket is announced. How much will the candidates spend once the elections are announced and ticket is allotted by their respective party,” Kakade said.
During Navratri too many candidates across the party lines organised pilgrimages to religious places.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Kasba peth legislator Mukta Tilak said that it was beyond her imagination to offer such sops.
“In the name of helicopter trip, it would be cheating as only few will get the ride. Many voters do not turn up for sari distribution programmes in the city as they are fed up with poll gimmicks,” she said, adding that candidates should reach out to residents by meeting them and social work.
