On Basant Panchami, parties take Punjab election fight to the skies

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Bathinda, February 4

This Basant Panchami, don’t be surprised if you see the poll battle taken to the skies.

Adding colour to the festival of kites this poll season, political parties hope to dominate the skyline with their symbols flying high. Adopting new means to reach out to voters, candidates have got kites printed with their party symbols, slogans and photos.

From Bathinda Urban, Congress’ Manpreet Badal, SAD’s Sarup Chand Singla and BJP’s Raj Nambardar are among the few who have gone in for this novel way of campaigning at a time when election gatherings have been restricted due to the pandemic.

The Congress has printed the party flag and its symbol on the kites, while the Akali Dal is using Singla’s photo with the slogan ‘Bathinda Meri Jind Jaan’ in addition to the SAD-BSP symbols. The BJP candidate has his photo along with the slogan “Na Dar, Na Bhrashtachar, Iss baar Raj Nambardar” on yellow-coloured kites.

To lend more zing to the campaign for the February 20 election, parties will also hold kite-flying competitions with their rivals. Kite makers are ecstatic about the demand. Raj Kumar, a kite seller, said: “Plain kites have been purchased in bulk by political leaders. Business is pouring in.” Meanwhile, Bathinda SSP Amneet Kondal appealed to kite flyers to not use the banned Chinese string.