Well-Lit automatic elevation ramps and LED screens remain a favourite among candidates opting for vehicular modifications this election season. With both the Telugu states going to polls on April 11, vehicle fabricators witness a boom in business. Politicians usually prefer modifying high-end vehicles like Mercedes’, Mitsubishis and Toyotas by setting up ramps, lights and other amenities.
It takes a minimum of seven days to complete the process of fixing additional fittings; modified cars would easily cost up to `10-12 lakh, excluding special fittings like automated inclining ramps, branded speakers and others. While leading automobile manufacturers like Tata, Mahindra, Maruti have laid out certain safety standards for fabricating vehicles, for private fabricators, safety is not the biggest priority.
“We are one of the leading designers when it comes to producing election campaign vehicles or ‘Prachar Radhh’ as it is called. Using best of brands for speakers, lighting and sound system and custom design body stickers, the list of buyers only keeps increasing every election. We have provided vehicles for all parties from across the country,” said CEO R Srinath, Jayalakshmi designers in Guntur.
While a few leaders get their old vehicles modified, several automobile modification companies also supply their vehicles after customisation on a rental basis. In Hyderabad, politicians are queuing up in Ranigunj to get their old vehicles modified to suit their campaign needs.
About 40 new vehicles are expected to be newly fabricated in the city as well as districts from the four major political parties. Meanwhile, though many vehicles are being customised for election campaigning, none of them have yet been registered with the Regional Transport Office post customisation, as per rules.