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Poll aspirants flood voters with calendars in state

Jan 12, 2025 08:06 AM IST

With civic elections likely to be held in mid-2025, one of popular strategies by political aspirants across Maharashtra as part of outreach efforts is distribution of personalised calendars

PUNE With civic elections likely to be held in mid-2025, political aspirants across Maharashtra are ramping up their outreach efforts. Among the popular strategies is the distribution of personalised calendars for 2025.

With civic elections likely to be held in mid-2025, one of popular strategies by political aspirants across Maharashtra as part of outreach efforts is distribution of personalised calendars. (HT)
With civic elections likely to be held in mid-2025, one of popular strategies by political aspirants across Maharashtra as part of outreach efforts is distribution of personalised calendars. (HT)

In cities like Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, candidates print calendars featuring their photos and details of their work and distribute them door-to-door. This trend has become so widespread that residents receive multiple calendars at their doorsteps, leaving many frustrated.

Arvind Birajdar, a resident of Padmavati, said, “Since the new year began, someone leaves a calendar at our gate almost every day. We now have five calendars from different candidates. The question is, what do we do with so many calendars?”

Similarly, Anil Vaidya said, “I received three calendars. I tried giving them to our maid, but she refused, saying she already had five at home. People are tired of receiving them.”

Some citizens have voiced their displeasure over the practice. “I don’t like keeping these calendars at home because I don’t want to see these faces all year. I’ve started throwing them into the scrap pile,” said one resident on condition of anonymity.

Rekha Surwate, who lives in a slum, said, “It’s good to get calendars in the first week of the new year, but one or two are enough. We live in a single room—what can we do with three or four calendars?”

For candidates, however, the calendar strategy offers significant advantages. A political leader, speaking anonymously, said, “I printed 10,000 calendars and distributed them. Calendars stay on voters’ walls throughout the year, making them familiar with our names. People often show us the calendars on their walls when we visit homes during campaigns. While some may dislike it, most people keep them or pass them on to others.”

Another aspirant added, “This is a low-cost way to reach voters, and it doesn’t count toward election expenses since it’s done before the polls. Additionally, it signals to voters and party leaders that we’re serious about contesting.”

Ujwal Keskar, a political leader, remarked, “Newcomers often try innovative ways to connect with voters. There’s nothing wrong with it—it’s part of democracy. Such efforts help build personal bonds.”

As the municipal elections approach, some candidates are planning to expand their outreach efforts. Another leader, speaking anonymously, said, “In today’s political climate, it’s not enough to do good work. You also need to offer some tangible benefits to voters. With Makar Sankranti coming up, many women candidates are organising Haldi-Kunku programs and distributing small gifts to women voters. These efforts will only increase as the elections draw closer.”

With 27 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, gearing up for polls, such outreach strategies are expected to dominate in the months ahead.

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