Leaders address media during the release of the party manifesto in Jaipur for Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018 Campaign. NurPhoto/ press Associatin. All rights reserved.
Large hoardings in Jaipur, the capital of one of the five poll-bound states in India, call upon the voters to celebrate the democracy “festival” – tyohar, the Hindi word for a religious festival. The Election Commission’s messages are not needed because the poll-related celebrations are in full swing. Campaigners hired on daily wages go around waving party flags and shouting slogans. The festive spirit is reflected in the viral videos of drunken men unable to hold the party flags properly, shouting incoherent slogans.
Distribution of currency notes and liquor by the candidates is not uncommon. Election-eve promises sway the voters but liquor is quicker. In a viral audio of a telephonic conversation, a known party leader promises more money and liquor for distribution in response to a demand by the local organiser. In this season of fake news, the viral videos or sound files are hard to verify.
