HYDERABAD: While casting his vote on Thursday, Bhuvanagiri Congress candidate Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had sported a scarf with the imprint of the ‘hand’ (the political symbol of Congress) as well as portraits of Sonia Gandhi on it. This could have been an assertion of his political leanings, or even a flamboyant fashion statement. But beyond that, experts say that such techniques could be a last-minute effort to influence voters, probably an attempt to get the denizens to quickly recall the party before casting the vote.
It was a common sight on April 11 to see the contestants and their supporters walking around in clothes or accessories representative of their political parties.
Explaining the semiotics (a field that studies signs, symbols and colours) of the technique, Prasheel Anand, a communication researcher said, “The assertion communicates to the people that they are the flag bearers of the party. A lot of defections are happening at the moment and the voters might even be considering the possibility of more defections after the results are declared. In this scenario, politicos are making a statement through their colour choices.”
Case in point, Secunderabad BJP Parliamentary candidate G Kishan Reddy was spotted wearing a saffron kurta while casting his vote. Similarly, Hyderabad BJP Parliamentary candidate Bhagwanth Rao also ensured that saffron dominated his outfit.
Even wives of the politicos who accompanied their popular husbands had ensured that their choice of saree colour was associated to political party they supported. TRS working president KT Rama Rao’s wife wore a pink and white checkered saree. Similarly, Karimanagar TRS candidate B Vinod Kumar’s wife as well.