Gujarat civic elections: Parties turn to gimmicks for votes

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has roped in yet another national leader in its effort to ensure victory in the civic elections in the state.

But this time, the party is hoping that Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, a BJP leader from Andhra Pradesh, would be able to fetch it the votes of 1,500 Telugu-speaking people in Bapunagar and Rajpur wards of Ahmedabad.

Rao, who was minister of state for internal affairs in the AB Vajpayee-led NDA government at the Centre, is already campaigning for the party in the city.  While other national leaders of the BJP are addressing public meetings and participating in huge rallies, Rao can be seen addressing groups of 50-60 Telugu-speaking people in the chawls of Rajpur and Bapunagar.

Rao was the BJP MP from Karimnagar (Andhra Pradesh) in the 12th and 13th Lok Sabha. The party is hoping that he would be successful in wooing the Telugu voters in Rajpur and Bapunagar wards in the BJP’s favour.  There are around 600 Telugu voters in Rajpur and a slightly higher number in Bapunagar. The former union minister is addressing Telugu audiences in their own language and praising the Narendra Modi government for its development work.