Snapshots of 2012 Mumbai civic elections campaigns

Any election campaign rally has plenty of noise, the adage being to be heard more than to be seen.

A low rumbling sound could be heard from afar, increasing as it approached...it was a roadroller, with an indpendent candidate seated behind the driver!! Wonder if he got any votes...

Walking along a busy main road in Dadar, my ears were assaulted by the thunderous sound of hundreds of bikes. Well, it wasn't Abhishek Bacchan & co shooting for Dhoom 3!! It was a never-ending procession of roaring bikes. The bikers were vociferous supporters of the MNS party, each pillion rider waving a large party flag. Adding to the din were the bike riders honking away.

The MNS campaign was quite innovative, with the party symbol perched atop jeeps & even an entire vehicle resembling a railway engine.

Then there was the Shiv Sena party's rally, with most of the supporters either dressed from head to toe in saffron (the party's colour) or with a saffron-coloured scarf jauntily tied around the neck. The rally included traditional tutari players and a cacophony arose from the loud beating of large drums. Included in the mix of supporters for the Shiv Sena-BJP combine was an enthusiastic wheelchair-bound supporter.

Relatively quieter were the Congress-NCP party's supporters. They, too, like the other parties, had bikers and candidates atop open jeeps but the sound levels seemed to be limited to what came out of a loudspeaker.

 

 A few candidates just campaigned once in a while, preferring to simply put up posters like the candidate below.

All in all, it was good fun to watch the campaigns!