April is the cruellest month. One doesn’t know what T.S. Eliot meant when he penned these famous lines, but the month sure brings a gruelling time. Along with the soaring mercury the election heat is also on the rise -- making life miserable. Summer means a sticky feeling of sweat and this time it gets accentuated by the heat and dust of electioneering.
The cycle of hope and disillusionment is back. Its time to keep the five yearly date with democracy. Election is synonymous with ‘ayarams’ and ‘gayarams’. Ideologies and loyalties take a back seat as candidates run for the ticket – whatever the label. Nominations over, candidates have hit the campaign trail in right earnest.
Though it is a digital age, none is content with mere online presence. Almost every candidate is out to reach the voters personally. It is also the ideal time to shed the flab. But the scorching sun is making padyatras very taxing. The other day, the Majlis chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, expressed surprise that some party nominees are not shedding weight though their complexion is turning dark.
J.S. Ifthekhar
in Hyderabad
Banking on
poll symbol
LPG cylinders have immense utility value in terms of cooking food in a cost-effective manner. Though odd looking, the cylinders are most sought after by every household and very popular among all sections of the society.
Banking heavily on the gas cylinder symbol allotted to him in the coming elections for Kothagudem Assembly seat, Edavalli Krishna, an independent candidate, virtually filled the entire premises of his house with flexi banners containing the life size images of gas cylinders.
He has even installed a giant replica of gas cylinder at the entrance of his house in Palvancha town from where he is spearheading his electioneering.
After being denied ticket by the YSR Congress Party at the last moment, a terribly upset Mr Krishna quit the party and threw his hat into the electoral ring as an independent.
P. Sridhar
in Khammam
Now ‘sensitive’ liquor shops
And now, we have election authorities categorising certain liquor retail shops in Adilabad as ‘sensitive’. As stated by the Excise and Prohibition Department, there are 25 liquor retail outlets located in Adilabad, Boath, Nirmal, and Khanapur Assembly constituencies which have been categorised as sensitive for recording sales in excess of 7 times the value of individual annual rental licence.
In the same breath, Excise officials reveal that these retail vends have registered lesser sales as compared to the corresponding period last year. This fact has extended the sensitivity of the outlets to the Excise Department and liquor businessmen.
The department is feeling the pinch of lagging behind in achieving targets and the businessmen are losing out on an assured increase in income during the election season. Both of them accuse the Election Commission of being insensitive to the needs of the time, cheers.
S. Harpal Singh
in Adilabad
