JCBs emerge as popular ‘jugaad’ for flower shower, drone shots in rallies

As the election fervour catches on the region, the shortage of JCB machines has hit many areas. Emerging as one of the biggest public meetings and rally props, especially for flower shower, JCB machines are now not just exorbitantly priced but unavailable for construction sites in many areas such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Mahendragarh.

A popular prop in the rural segments, the JCB machine is a cheap alternative for flower shower by a chopper and also makes a public meeting grander and acts as a ‘jugaad’ for drone shots. Owing to the popularity, almost all leaders and their supporters are now running to get JCB machines. According to vendors in Gurugram, while they were renting out their machines at Rs 1,000-1,500 per hour, they are now getting Rs 5,000 per hour.

“There’’s a great demand for JCB machines. We have been booked ever since nominations started. They (party workers) not just take the drivers along but even people who can stand on these and throw flowers. We charge extra for it. We have a fleet of around 10 JCB machines; the majority were deployed in construction of housing projects along Dwarka Expressways but we recalled them as we will be able to earn three times in just few days,” said Vijay Yadav, a JCB machine provider in Gurugram.

“A majority of leaders in Nuh are talking about bulldozer action and to symbolise it they need JCB machines so we are not just sending ours but also getting from nearby areas in Rajasthan. JCB machines are a big crowd puller in Nuh as many young boys and men come just to get on JCB machines. We go to a public meeting and even after it is over, we keep our machines there so that people can shoot reels and charge Rs 100 for five minutes,” said Ashfaq Khan of Tauru. It may be noted that various villages in Nuh have used panchayat funds to rent out the JCB machines to welcome any leader who comes in.

JCB machines however raise security concerns as it’s unsafe for people to scale these, though Nuh police are yet to take any cognizance.

The majority of JCB drivers are from Nuh and it has taken a toll on multi-crore construction industry in NCR towns of Gurugram and Faridabad.

“Yes JCB machines are short right now owing to elections. We have our fixed dealers but everybody is supporting a party so they have taken their machines there. It is delaying the projects but we believe that’s what elections are all about,” said an officer-bearer of the home developers’association. Not just private builders but even government agencies MCG or GMDA are being impacted for their day to day encroachment removal and cleaning exercises.