CHENNAI: Packed crowds and fervent chants in political party meetings or campaigns might lead one to believe that it was a gathering united by either the ideology of a particular party or the charisma the party’s leader enjoys among the people. However, a scrupulous look will deconstruct the facade and reveal the political parties’ strategy to ramp up their public image.
Suhail, a 19-year-old, is standing at a BJP political rally in Harbour constituency. He carries the party’s posters on his back like a schoolbag. There are several more like him, close to 50. Men and women in hundreds hold party flags and march slowly as the rally moves. Most of them do not even belong to the party. But, what brought them all there? As the saying goes, appearances can be deceptive.
“They hired us for Rs 400 to hold the party placard on our back for the evening. I work as a coolie near Mint,” says Suhail, as he waits under the scorching sun, for the party leader to arrive. Political parties have managed thumping crowds at their meetings, particularly the massive ones, by hiring people just ahead of the meetings. Another middle-aged man in the BJP rally says he was roped in for Rs 300 to hold the party flag and march along with the group.
Widely followed by all parties, the strategy sees people getting hired for a sum of Rs 300-500 to take part in their meetings or rallies. Karthik, a middle-aged man in his 40s, said he was given Rs 300 by the DMK in Maduravoyal for joining the campaign of its MLA candidate there. “I was told to hold the flag for three hours during the campaign. Then, they gave me the pamphlets on ‘Why people must not vote for AIADMK’ and they told me to distribute it in the neighbourhood,” he says.
Many of these people are unemployed or school dropouts. They are told to hold banners, flags, wear party shawl and march in front or behind a leader’s campaign vehicle. During Udhayanidhi Stalin’s campaign in Chepauk, it was found the party brought in a large number of women in a Tata Ace. The women said that they did not have any political affiliations and were just asked to come for the rally for a cost.
A district functionary of a popular political party in Tamil Nadu acknowledges this and says it is common during elections. “We as district functionaries are responsible for bringing up crowds when big leaders visit for campaign. People are hired only when star candidates and big leaders visit,” the functionary said.
Noting that only local party cadre assist MLA candidates during campaigns, the functionary said that pleasing star leaders of the parties during their campaigns would ensure promotions in the party ranks for the functionaries.