THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city may be stuffy and sultry in the searing heat, but palpable is the zeal of the candidates who are out seeking votes.
The walls display aesthetically done party symbols with scenic spread in the backdrop, giving election graffiti a new, professional twist.
This is no wonder, as the job is no longer the onus of the biased party workers but professional artists. Wall space allowed for election work is also sparse, which makes the job challenging for graffiti artists, who get paid by the hour.
As dusk falls, the campaigners spread out to the streets, knocking at the doors of the voters. The heat keeps them from venturing out much during the daytime.
Some voters, however, stop them at the door, with posters on their gates asking campaigners to leave their homes alone. They also tell the campaigners not to expect votes, giving reasons myriad — rising prices, bad roads, et al.
Election officials also chip their mite to spice up the scene with awareness classes on voting and EVMs for the uninitiated or the new voters.
Keen marketing eyes find the mood and the heat ripe enough to sell paraphernalia that could double up as election tidbits as well as cover for the heat. Umbrellas bearing party symbols are thus in vogue in most shops that also have displays of stickers, banners, caps, etc.
Election time, thus, resembles a carnival, the high of which is just emerging as active campaigning waits to begin in the weeks to come.
