INDIA VOTES 2024: Jalandhar turns into poll battleground with publicity blitz

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, May 21

With just few days left for the Lok Sabha elections, campaigning has reached a fever pitch. The air is thick with the clamour of wordy duel, thick and fast flying allegations and counter-allegations, touting of achievements and an intense ‘poster war’ as candidates vie for the attention of voters with eye-catching slogans and promises.

Political rallies by party heavyweights, door-to-door campaigning and public meetings are in full swing, but the battle extends far beyond the traditional methods. The city has transformed into a pollscape with a deluge of posters and flex banners proclaiming party achievements and vision for the future. From every nook and corner, political advertisements scream for attention.

Public and private properties alike have not been spared in this poster blitz. Walls of flyovers near Pathankot Chowk, Chuggitti and some areas in Basti Bawa Khel are plastered with campaign material as are government buildings such as suvidha centres and Civil Hospital. Hoardings stretch along roads, dangle from electricity poles, and deface private residences, leaving no space untouched.

Doaba Chowk, Domoria overbridge, Kishanpura Road, Model Town, Mai Hiran Gate, Phagwara Gate, local vegetable markets and major roads like 66 feet and 120 feet thoroughfares, Urban Estate Phase II, Nakodar Chowk and Ravidass Chowk have all become battlegrounds for large hoardings. Each party has staked its claim with vivid displays.

The Congress has prominently featured former CM Charanjit Singh Channi with the tagline “ghar ghar chali hai gul, Channi krda masle hul,” while the BJP has plastered huge images of PM Modi and touted the achievements of its government. Notably, BJP posters for candidate Sushil Rinku emphasise a vote for Modi. Moreover, Rinku too, in his door-to-door efforts, echoes this sentiment, urging voters to cast their ballots for Modi through him.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have showcased their leaders alongside local candidates, making bold promises for the future. Their posters and hoardings outline their vision and pledges, aiming to capture the public’s trust and votes.

Amidst this flurry of activity, the administration has received over 400 complaints via the c-Vigil app regarding poll code violations, primarily involving defacement of property.

Residents expressed frustration over unauthorised posters being fixed on their homes. Meanwhile, district administration teams, alongside Municipal Corporation officials, say they have been actively removing unauthorised publicity materials. So far, over 5,000 such pieces of election paraphernalia have been cleared from government properties across the district.

Public, private properties not spared

Public and private properties alike have not been spared in this poster blitz. Walls of flyovers near Pathankot Chowk, Chuggitti and some areas in Basti Bawa Khel are plastered with campaign material as are government buildings such as suvidha centres and Civil Hospital. Hoardings stretch along roads, dangle from electricity poles, and deface private residences, leaving no space untouched.