Vishu is shy of just four days. Even as the holiday season approaches, there is no respite for the candidates in the fray of the elections. They continue to be caught up in frenzied election campaigning during the holidays. Express interacts with the candidates and looks at their jam-packed schedule and how they intend to up their ante during these few days.
Kummanam Rajasekharan (BJP candidate for Thiruvananthapuram)
The holidays are being considered a godsend by the NDA brigade which will be on its toes campaigning for their candidate Kummanam Rajasekharan. The campaigners have their hope high on reaching out to most of the voters this holiday season. "During the holidays, people will be home and we get to reach out to people we missed out on earlier. Moreover, the holidays will ensure that all the party workers are on the ground campaigning, ensuring mass participation," said BJP Thiruvananthapuram district president S Suresh. Meanwhile, the schedule of Kummanam will remain the same.
The day will start early, as per norm, at 7 am. The campaign trail will be active on all these holidays where Kummanam will meet the voters in the campaign vehicle and interact with them. On Vishu, Kummanam will have meals at the homes of the party workers and supporters, spending the pious occasion with them. The days will wind up as usual, at midnight.
Further, the party workers are all set to come home delivering the greetings of the holiday season. "Greeting cards will reach all homes. Moreover, special greeting cards have been crafted for the coastal community and these will be distributed," he said. The party workers have completed four rounds of house visits in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency. A mega house visit is being planned on April 17.
Sobha Surendran (BJP candidate for Attingal)
This time, Vishu is not going to be with the family for Sobha Surendran, but in essence it will be with the extended family she has. The poll season is bearing down with all its might but Sobha is positive of the elections, having reached out to the voters in the Attingal constituency positively. She is gearing up to spend the festive occasion on the party workers' homes.
“One of my sons have come from Delhi while the youngest is in Class XII. But this time, Vishu will be at party workers' homes, having meals with them and will be about house visits, visiting leaders and other prominent persons. The following days I will be sticking to the campaign schedule, which is, mostly being on the campaign vehicle and reaching out to the people,” said Sobha.
Adoor Prakash (UDF candidate for Attingal)
House to house campaigns bearing seasons greetings is how UDF candidate Adoor Prakash's team is trying to win hearts this election season. As part of the campaign strategy, Vishu and Easter greeting cards will be delivered at all the households in Attingal. Party workers and supporters will deliver the greeting cards and wish the voters whilst requesting votes. Meanwhile, the campaign trail will be active with the candidate continuing to campaign in the vehicle.
"Direct interaction with the voters may not be possible. The candidate will meet all the voters in the vehicle and there will not be any change in the campaign schedule on account of the holidays," said former DCC president Karakulam Krishna Pillai. Booklets chronicling the journey of Adoor Prakash as a politician will be delivered at all the households during the holidays. By April 15 the second round of campaigning is slated to end. After which the focus will be on taking the campaign to regions that couldn't be covered earlier.