Netas hire LED screens to add glitter
For the first time, mobile LED screens with audio effects will replace hoardings in the upcoming election campaign. Aspiring Assembly candidates have been hiring the vehicles with LED screens attached to them. The vehicles replicating Swachh auto tippers would visit every nook and corner of the respective constituencies to publicise poll promises.
Opposition party leaders have claimed that the LED vehicles, though costly, would give their candidates a fair chance to campaign. They claimed that during the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election, the TRS which was in power, had the lion’s share of hoardings and the remaining parties could hardly get any space to erect hoardings, which were considered to be the primary poll attraction. In the wake of this, the opposition was forced to erect illegal banners and hoardings, which were immediately pulled down by the civic body.
The political parties have been using LED vehicles with speakers attached to them. The politicians felt they could woo voters effectively with visuals playing on the screens. Political parties are of the opinion that hiring vehicles would be a wise choice as the room for campaigning would be more than 30 days.
Political parties felt rather than spending `1 lakh for hoardings per month, it would be easier to hire an LED vehicle for `45,000 per day, which would have 100 per cent more effectiveness when compared to static banners.
BJP Greater Hyderabad president and MLC N. Ramchander Rao said that the party was in the forefront in the use of science and technology for the poll campaign. “The BJP has successfully wooed voters in the previous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections by campaigning through various social media platforms. Since the LED screens are the latest advancement in technology, the party will use it in the ensuing polls,” he said.
Ramchander Rao said the LED vehicles would visit every division in the constituency with the election manifesto playing in the background. He said unlike hoardings and banners, this mode of campaigning would be extremely communicative.
City mayor Bonthu Rammohan said that TRS candidates had already hired the LED vehicles and were using them for campaigning. MLA aspirants in more than three constituencies were already campaigning with LED vehicles which were cost effective.
“A day’s campaigning using LED vehicles will have more impact on voters than conventional banners, flexies and hoardings,” he said.
Meanwhile, the GHMC commissioner has instructed the zonal commissioner to pull down all official hoardings from government buildings, highways and other areas across the city to ensure that the Model Code of Conduct was followed.