Candidates make a splash with flash mobs in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: At the bustling Kothapet market, not much makes people stop in their tracks, but Friday was different. Around 10.30am, crowd parted as a group of 15 to 20 people broke out into a dance in the middle of the market. The flash mob, organised by team of Malkajgiri Congress candidate Revanth Reddy, surprised everyone.



Performing to the lyrics “ vasthunnadu vasthunnadu, Revanthanna vasthunnadu (arriving arriving, Revanth is arriving)”, the dancers were cheered on by a crowd of fruit sellers and buyers.

Politicians in the state are taking less-trodden paths to grab voters’ attention. The flash mob at fruit market and another one organised by the same team on a Metro— from Kothapet to Dilsukhnagar and then to LB Nagar— is a sign that politicians are changing with time.

Speaking about the initiative, Nymisha Reddy, Revanth’s daughter said, “entertainment is an important part of people’s lives. If my father holds a meet and tries to explain something, it is not always easy to get the message across. A flash mob is one of the best ways to grab people’s attention in a short period of time. It attracts people and keeps them talking about us.” Asked about how the team decides where they are to perform, she said, “we are targeting crowded places in the constituency.”

Reports suggested that there have been flash mobs organised by BJP supporters as well, but the party’s spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao denied any official involvement in this. BJP leaders, however, have attempted other novel means of grabbing voters’ attention. Fighting from Malkajgiri, BJP candidate Ramachander Rao organised a bike rally from Bouduppal Mallamma temple to Jawaharnagar, through Pirzadiguda, Anojiguda, Ghatkesar, Keesara, Nagaram and Dammaiguda on Thursday. The rally attracted many.

“The aim behind the rally was to connect with a larger number of people which does not always happen in a door-to-door campaign,” said Ramachander Rao when contacted. The BJP candidate went on to say, “people’s perspective about you changes when they see you doing something different. They see you as being proactive.”