In Hyderabad, made-to-order special poll vehicles just a call away

It costs ₹70,000 to ₹1 lakh to modify a vehicle

Worksheds inside Exhibition Grounds in Hyderabad are busy modifying pick-up vans for electioneering by various parties in the State.

Years ago, in 1983, the legendary Telugu film star N.T. Rama Rao stepped into a modified Chevrolet and stormed to power in united Andhra Pradesh. Now, 35 years later, bespoke four-wheelers still remain vehicles of choice for politicians in Telangana. Scores of these colourful vehicles can be seen whizzing through the countryside in Telangana blaring out political messages and raising dust.

“My father Eshwar Rao helped create the Chaitanya Ratham at the Ramakrishna Studios for Telugu Desam Party. N.T. Rama Rao would occasionally come to the workspace at 3 a.m. watch the proceedings with folded arms and then grunt and move on,” says Chander Rao, or as he is called Chinna, as he supervises the made-to-order makeover of electioneering vehicles in Hyderabad’s NTR stadium near Indira Park.

Scores of vehicles are parked on one side of the vast playground as children kick ball and raise dust, and a few young men and women jog/trot/run while chatting.

All parties

“The first order we received was on the second day of dissolution of the Telangana Assembly. On September 7, Patancheru MLA Mahipal Reddy called me up and asked me to prepare the vehicle for campaigning. The orders are from all political parties,” says Mr. Chinna, who runs the Chinna Cine Arts. The site does look like a film set as workers ranging from carpenters, electricians, cutters, welders, decorators work in concert where the baton of the conductor cannot be seen.

All sizes

“We take three or four days to finish one vehicle. While the modification for the smaller vehicle used for going around the trail costs ₹70,000, the bigger vehicle where the candidate can stand and campaign costs ₹1,00,000 to make. The vehicles are hired by the politicians and given to us. Most of them are used ones,” says Vikas, an assistant who oversees the minutae of execution.

Computer prints

“Earlier cutouts were a big hit. We made a 100-feet cutout of NTR. It was a work of art as artists had to paint the image from memory and numbers marked out by the master. Now, everything is printed. Even these are printed,” says Chinna pointing to the red and white designs on a station wagon which is covered with plywood and plastered with images of Julakanati Ranganna of CPI (M) , Miryalguda.

While the CPI (M) candidate’s vehicle is the lone one with red and white pattern, it is surrounded by at least dozen pink and white vehicles of Telangana Rashtra Samithi plastered with caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s image along with the local candidates. All ready to raise dust over the next 30 days before elections in Telangana.