The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : poll talk

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Thursday, Apr 02, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

poll talk

Newspaper sale perks

When elections are here can ‘aaya rams-gaya rams’ be far behind? But then politics make strange bedfellows. Sworn enemies can be hugging each other in no time. So, it is becoming impossible to keep track of leaders with most of them hopping parties overnight. Elections also unleash lot of ‘tu tu-main main’ with leaders trading charges.

Lesser mortals have nothing better than the daily newspaper to keep pace with the happenings.

No wonder sale of all newspapers have shot up. Whether candidates win or not their polemics are providing enough fodder for rumour mills.

In the old city Urdu newspapers are having brisk sales thanks to the bitter fighting between the Majlis, MBT and the Grand Alliance candidate for Hyderabad Parliamentary seat, Zahid Ali Khan.

With the media itself having an axe to grind, one is unable to sift fact from fiction. Naturally people are forced to buy more than one newspaper.

The situation is best summed by a vendor at Eedi Bazar “I wish I had enough money to stock more newspapers’.

J.S. IFTHEKHAR

Garnering love

This is the tale of the pillow that propped and protected actor Jayasudha from the sharp edges of the sun roof, while campaigning at Manikeshwari Nagar in Secunderabad constituency. The actor wanted an elevated platform while travelling the streets of the settlement. And since there was no open top jeep at hand, she chose a car with a sunroof.

When she stood, the sharp edges of the sun roof were making her uncomfortable. The Congress workers ran helter-skelter only to come with a blanket, which provided little relief.

This is when, the respect and love of the local women for Jayasudha came in to fore when a girl from a nearby home ran to the cavalcade and handed a pillow to the actor. While returning back, the actor made it a point to return back the pillow and interact with the girl’s family for a long time.

M. SAI GOPAL

Pro campaigns

Last few elections did see some political parties availing the services of professional public relations agencies to come out with campaign plans. However, it is not often that such teams are seen around an individual candidate and putting their professional expertise for campaign purposes.

The TDP candidate from Khairatabad K.Vijayarama Rao does have such an agency helping him out with press releases and keeping in touch with the media to inform about his campaign plans and delivering statements and photographs.

Will the professional PR efforts help the candidate’s cause?

T. LALITH SINGH

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