Ahead of polls, netas snatch last big publicity chance with Ganesh banners

With the delay in the announcement of the assembly elections, political leaders hoping to contest the polls made the best of the last big publicity opportunity, slapping their pictures alongside images of Ganpati on posters during the just-concluded festival.

Ganesh mandals were the other big gainers, raking in good money for a range of banners that they put up at the sites of the festivities. The festivities celebrated by these neighbourhood groups drew hundreds and even thousands of devotees daily.

How big is the opportunity for publicity?

Mandal organisers estimate that 40 per cent of the collections from banners comes from politicians.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) earned a meagre revenue of Rs 2,36,945 through licence fees for banners and hoardings put up during the festival.

Why was this opportunity so valuable?

Only a fortnight ago, it was decided at a meeting of the municipal commissioner, the mayor and group leaders in the BMC that all political hoardings, banners and posters would be removed as soon as the election code comes into force.

The mandals must get permission from the civic body to put up banners. Many banners are put up without permission.

Is all this publicity activity legal?

This year, the BMC pulled down 536 unauthorized hoardings and banners during the Ganesh festival. According to information from the licence department, of these 40 were political banners and 26 political boards. Most of the illegal banners were of the religious and social types.

"There were some unauthorised banners and boards put up by political parties and religious organisations, most of them came up in the last few days of the festival. But we managed to remove them," said Sharad Bande, superintendent of the licence department.

Are the rules being enforced?

Bande said that the department would undertake a special drive to remove such materials once the poll code comes into effect. "Usually, political parties refrain from putting up posters during the election period. We will also ensure that such banners and posters are removed," he said.

Nikhil Desai, a neighbourhood activist, said, "These days politicians try to promote themselves even through religious posters. A poster showing a small Ganpati picture aside from the pictures of politicians is categorized as a religious poster and the civic department is not strict about this. There are several such hoardings and banners in my ward."

Displays of netas in BMC offices

The licence department will issue a notice for removal of all calendars and such materials having the pictures of political leaders that may be put up in civic offices anywhere in the city. This information was received in response to an RTI query by activist Sharad Yadav. "Such calendars and displays should not be put up in government buildings," said Yadav. Sharad Bande, superintendent of the BMC's licence department, confirmed the move.