The ‘Maha’ polls saga

Come October 15^th, my home state of Maharashtra is slated for electing the state legislature. An exercise which happens every 5 years and has ended electing the same coalition for the last 15 years; Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. Considered to be alliance aimed to be the messiah against non-secular forces of the 25 year old BJP-Shiv Sena mega alliance and MNS, the recent governments have been marred by incidents of super corruption, lawless-ness and bad governance. But still it has managed majority for the last 15 years.

But things are looking massively different this time around. The first and the most significant difference is there is just one coalition: BJP and two small parties. The rest all are going independent and contesting the 288 on their own. Biggest problem is no one has done it for 15 or 25 years and all of a sudden, it has become a task to even identify candidates. Consequently there is also heavy rebel activity for anyone who has any kind of displeasure from their existing party. No ticket, No party support- No Problem; just switch loyalties.

Now for election agenda- both Congress and NCP are trying to hog the limelight for the achievements and push the negatives on the other partner. The similarity is so much so that even the election campaign ads are having almost the same treatment and storylines. Congress has Prithviraj Chavan talking development walking in a park and NCP has Ajit Pawar sitting on a chain in a garden and talking development. Bottom line- they seem to have almost nothing to offer this time.

In contrast, the BJP and Shiv Sena are both harping on all the negatives and scams that have come up over the last 15 years. The difference, BJP is trying to ride on the ripples of the Modi wave and the Sena is trying to pose its leader Uddhav Thakre and Aditya Thakre as a mood of youth and fresh air. The MNS is also talking the same language.

As a voter, even after all my education and interests in politics, I am actually confused as all ads and campaigning is sounding the same. All everyone has on the platter is tall claims.

Just yesterday, I was hit by a new campaign by Shiv Sena, which in business terms we define as a game changer by virtue of its competitive advantage. A majority of the Sena cadre is youth from middle and lower middle class families that is seeking redemption from social stress. In many ways, the Sena has wielded its power towards a cause aimed at better life for them. Say for their flagship Zunka-Bhakar scheme or the Shiv wada-pav which offered both a place in the society as well as livelihood for their workers.

But that apart, Sena has also championed social causes through its ground force by means of blood donation drives and job fairs from time to time. This has been used to its advantage in its election communication. A realistic scenario: a bomb blast in a city with hospitals flooding with the injured. A set of volunteers bring in the people and the doctor asks the support staff for blood. The volunteer steps in, “Look after the injured, we’ll get u the blood…” When asked who they are, the volunteers in unanimity answer, “We are Shiv Sena”. Another ad is having the volunteer guide an old lady through a crowded signal by holding the traffic as a respect to the elders- the message is still the same.

It may be small, but the message is different and is impactful. Can it translate into a maha- vote for the Sena is something still to be seen in the next two weeks. 

The brand that binds India

Unity in diversity- a matter of pride which possibly every Indian loves to flaunt. So what builds this unity amongst so many people divided by regions, languages, traditions and customs as one- that’s a difficult one? But what if I ask; if all of them had to be bonded by an adhesive, what would you use? The answer to that question in almost 99% of the occasions will be just one- Fevicol. As long as good quality wood and wooden furniture is the choice if Indians, Fevicol will be a brand which will rule the ranks.

Fevicol as a brand owned by Pidilite Industries and started off in 1959. Though wood as a choice of material for furniture has been in India for centuries (thanks to the rain forests in India and Myanmar), the traditional adhesive of choice was ‘saresh’. This is a natural polymer of animal origin and was usually heated to form a jelly which solidifies on cooling. Considering the numbers of Indian livestock, it was cheap and available abundantly across the country.

Fevicol as a product had the advantage of a ready to use, air drying synthetic adhesive with no contents of animal origin; something which would appeal inherently to Indians. But there was a major challenge to enter a market which was driven on a very strong by traditional practices, carpenters as a community than a profession and a consumer driven by personal relations rather than quality and workmanship. A consumer was concerned with the wood used and the final look of the final product but the quality of metal accessories, adhesives and polish used was not even a consideration- a typical low involvement category product.

Fevicol has emerged as the best example in India of a product which has overcome this challenge of moving into the considerations set from the oblivion and standing its ground where consumers and carpenters both use it as a mark of quality and trustworthy workmanship.

The key feature that people look for in an adhesive is its strength. The most common personification of strength in India was an elephant. This along with an inspired approach from the 17^th century Magdeburg hemispheres experiment become the foundation of the brand association. Two elephants trying to pull apart the hemispheres became the prime part of the logo for Fevicol.  A white adhesive in a HDPE jar with a blue top and the elephants on the side as a symbol of its strength became the identity of modern adhesive for Indians.

The difficult part of changing the traditional habits has been achieved over years of continuous efforts towards building affinity and preference of the white synthetic adhesive as well as the brand. This is actually a very tricky scenario; an ill-informed consumer will never pay a premium over a local product alternative and there will always be reluctance from the carpenters to work with a new product which works and performs different to what they have previously used.

This has been achieved by a steady stream of mainline advertising targeted towards the end consumer highlighting the long lasting strength of the adhesive. The initial ads have also used the elephant and the analogy to the Magdeburg experiment to showcase strength. This actually has built a super recall for the brand each time anyone says, ‘…zor lagake…’(push/pull with all your strength) On the parallel, Fevicol has run programmes for the carpenters to build the equity and faith amongst the users and help them endorse the brand as a mark of their own quality of work. Over the years, Fevicol has built both; end consumer demand and user preference for its products.

The position of Fevicol over the years has been so dominant, it has replaced any other form of glue in every possible place with sub-brands. Fevicol has two variants: Fevicol MR for domestic use and Fevicol SH for professional applications. There are also fast setting and a water resistant marine adhesive also available. It is therefore not surprising to see a tube of Fevicol present in a stationery shop to a hardware shop. It can be seen on the desk of a kid in an art class, office desk as often as in the hand of a carpenter in his workshop.

The success of Fevicol has been in a smart use of media channels and marketing efforts directed for a long a persistent fashion to build this success over the years. In fact the prefix ‘Fevi’ has become the ground for a host of other products launched by Pidilite over the years. There is a Fevistick as a domestic glue stick, Fevi-bond as a rubber adhesive and Fevikwick instant adhesive. Fevicryl is a brand for poster and fabric colours.  Hobby Ideas is a retail presence it has today not just for selling art and craft material but also have art workshops to attract the next generation to the brand.

Today, the brand is so well recognised, that a ‘majboot jod’ (strong bond) and Fevicol has become synonymous. It has also found its way into Bollywood songs. In the last 25 odd years, Fevicol ads have been a benchmark of creativity in the Indian ad industry. The brand association is so strong that the campaigns run as the full ad for a fortnight in high frequency and once the ad registers, it becomes a 10 sec snippet. So how strong is the ad recall… Prime Minister Modi described Indo-Japan relations as a bond stronger than Fevicol. (Ye Fevicol se bhi majboot jod hai…) In the words of the man who  Piyush Pandey of Ogilvy, the agency that has been creating communication for Fevicol for over 30 years, “This is bigger than a Cannes Grand Prix”.

The true asset of a brand is the equity it builds along the way and later can encash on its assets to develop the market. Taking the category to the next level is also what is left for a leader to champion. Their close association with carpenters made Fevicol realise that India had no furniture catalogues. In 1989, they came out with the first Fevicol Furniture Books; a book of furniture concepts which to date has run 50 editions and sold over 11 million copies. With the rise of the digital world, Fevicol now has a site called ‘Design Ideas’, which is a digital exchange site for architects, designers and contractors to showcase their ideas and also a channel for prospective customers to reach.

Brand studies normally focus on flashy and glamorous products which are eye catching. Fevicol is an example of a brand from a low involvement products basket which has gone to attain an iconic stature of owning a category by its name through its marketing practices, advertising and foresight as a market leader. Not to mention, binding India like never before.

Alia Bhatt- a one you just cannot ignore

'There's no such thing as bad publicity' –a statement often associated with Phineas T. Barnum, a 19th century American showman and circus owner. Apparently, Barnum was a self-publicist and never missed an opportunity to present his opinion to the public- no matter in what context. Apart from being a man of showbiz in the 1800’s, his approach was bang on the money; self- promotions and publicity are a crucial part of being a public figure. Unless people talk about you, know you and have the craving to know more in person; you are possibly just another person. In his own words- Without promotion something terrible happens... Nothing!!!

Today, most people who wish to be in the public domain hire public image managers in a quest to ensure their public face is maintained. Considering there are lot more options in media which can spread a word at the speed of sound, there are moments where someone can goof up big time. In the last one year, there have been two instances after which the involved individuals might have got them to think, ‘why the hell did I go there in the first place?’ Interestingly, both invoked a similar kind of reaction on social media. The real distinction has been how the matters have been handled post the debacle and what it has done to these two individuals.

The first one was of course- Rahul Gandhi and possibly his career interview with Arnab Goswami. Sure a lot of politicians make blunders when they talk; but this was epic in the sense that his handling of the media post the interview was atrocious and laughable. Needless to say, while the Modi wave was on the rise, a lot of jokes on Rahul Gandhi started floating around. A parallel example was that of Alia Bhatt when on the celebrity talk show ‘Koffee with Karan’, her lack of knowledge about India’s President (like many others) was exposed in a grand manner. What followed was her crowning as the Indian version of the blonde with a strong line-up of jokes.

The similarities in both cases: both were actually trying to establish themselves in the public eye and their image in the meantime was gone for a toss. While Rahul had all kinds of childish jokes dedicated to himself, Alia jokes were going across the board. Jokes which at one point were like an exclusive monopoly of the surds were being recycled for Alia. In fact I believe at some point, her PR agency came in a planted some more jokes just to keep the excitement and name flashing on social media.

Indians have been harsh with anyone who had an issue with their public image. In the past, the moment anyone got involved in controversies, people and brands choose to distance themselves from the person involved to manage the rub-off. This makes the post debacle response of the involved both interesting and crucial. This was possibly the stark difference in these two cases.

Rahul and the Congress went into denial. They did almost nothing to change the public perception with any other public appearances aimed to control the damage. If empowerment, women’s representation and youth were his points laid down to the world, nothing was done to being meaning to the words by some on ground actions to the people who most mattered in his campaign. While they attempted to downplay the matter or wait for it to die out- Rahul lost his presence in the national politics. He can be an equivalent to Sarah Palin in some ways.

Conversely, the Bhatt camp did nothing to hide the fact that general knowledge was not the strong point of Alia. Interestingly; in the month following the incident, she played a student in India’s most respected educational institutions, a Stockholm syndrome driven lover and a very typical North Indian. While social media was taking her persona for a toss- she actually allied with a popular youth based internet channel to let people know that she is working on herself to overcome her flaws. As a matter of fact, I recently found that her youth connect is so powerful that she is the face for a range of products from Garnier, Hero Pleasure and Philips in recent times. In all the above ads, she projects a smarter and opinion leading act.

If you ask me, I am yet to watch any of her films and the idea of her being a far refreshing act in terms of glamour compared to her half sibling Pooja Bhatt came in only after I saw what a disaster Pooja was (30 mins of Phir teri kahani yaad aayee was all it required). I also know that she is someone who possibly never been to a college to take up studies seriously and might be the low ranker amidst her contemporaries as far as educational qualifications might go. But one thing is for sure- every single person who has ever read a newspaper or is exposed to some form of social media today knows who she is. Would she get all the films and endorsements she has in her bag even then? May be. But one thing is for sure- the kind of recall she has today is second to none.

A line of conclusion- like her or hate her for all she does, she is someone who we cannot stop hearing about. She is plastered all across youth channels with her ads and endorsements and for all I have read; her acting has also been appreciated. She is many ways is now an established brand; something we just cannot ignore. 

Independence and Social Media

So for the 68^th time in the Indian history, the prime minister gave his customary address from the Red Fort in Delhi on occasion of the Independence Day. While most of it was like a ritual, what was a noticeable though was Modi bringing up aspects of social development through the most basic civil conduct. Actually, it was quite strange when he made it a point that we still lack basic civic sense when it comes to cleanliness and sanitation- the basic elements that build up a society. What can be disturbing though is the fact that we are at this stage when India is somewhere in between when it comes to being a developing and developed nation on this planet.

If looked upon in all of truth and honesty; the social structure we exist in today is one of vast ironies. Social structures move from an individual to a family to a community and finally a nation and aspects of cleanliness and sanitation actually exist at the initial steps of self and family. It is an individual who litters or ignores his garbage disposal; or an individual or family that first thinks about sanitation in and around the house. In most cases this is an issue which has not been addressed so far as we see filth and garbage all across- not to mention use of open spaces to defecate. I believe it was

What was surprising though was response of people on social media where Modi was applauded for not sheltering behind the bullet proof enclosure; but also getting critical of his lack of mention for women’s safety and gender rights or inflation while on the dais. But even if the move to curb down the freedom to litter and pee anywhere is like a rhetoric on moral responsibility of every citizen; Modi would not be averse to some comments on social media… in a big way; it is one reason the wave spread so rapid and won him the top post.

I’m sometimes amazed at what social media can throw up as a response to every move that happens across the world. It might be also one social aspect of today that India is not lagging behind in- Social Media. It is kind of funny how the fundamental rights of expression has found a way to open up by means of social media. Yes, however fundamental it might have been as a right, media has always been sceptic to carry anything that can be drawing them into any kind of controversy of draw a backlash from the people or the government. Believe it or not, social media has been a revelation or sorts.

May be not so refined and rapid as today, but pen friend networks, chain mails, topical chat rooms and SMS forwards were the first forms of social networks I have known. Then came Gtalk status messages before twitter and Facebook took over. Honestly all these are inexpensive modes as getting someone outing together words never needs big budgets. But an astonishing fact has been the rise and rise of YouTube communities which put up videos especially created for mass consumption on social media.

Today, YouTube is flooded with videos specially designed and produced for internet sharing and the number of such channels is on a high. Initially, there was The Viral Fever (TVF) and All India Bakchod (AIB) which I had subscribed. But soon there have been lots more like East India Comedy (EIC) and Being Indian which have all come up. What is significant is that initially, they were all platforms to mock people and politicians. The biggest advantage, there is little or no moderation on the content. So if you wish to pay your regards to mothers and sisters or explore the universe on the other end of Uranus, you can do so without bothering too much on how it portrays you.

But I would like to believe that within a short span, these channels have also realised that mocking alone is not likely to retain their audiences. So while they still maintain a quirky outlook towards what people and politicians do, they have also built a new perspective to voice the public opinion. In recent times, these channels have voiced the general opinion on the social outlook towards women, their safety, what people feel about censorship or just mock sex education in schools.

The fact that they find sponsors in e-retailers like SnapDeal also speaks that the brand really is not worried about any kind of backlash it can have based on the opinions expressed in the content or mocking of the country’s leadership. In fact, given that the audience is mostly the young and the impulse driven shoppers; it is smart business sense.

I would say this is a new level of Independence which has found its voice through Social media. It doesn’t matter if a certain channel or newspaper will hear your voice; you can do it yourself. If you talk for the moment- it is looking highly impactful. But as always; how it will remain so and how less it has adverse effects will only be decided by time and self-regulations people demonstrate in its use during the course. 

Popularism today is Economic collapse tomorrow

I know I am not qualified enough in Fiscal policies and am on thin ice as I write this blog. But considering some general buzz around me and a bit of recent reading I undertook, I felt it was important for me to make a point here.

I started reading ‘The Great Degeneration’ by Niall Fergusson exactly 10 days back, where he made an attempt to place some concepts like government debt, debt to GDP ratio and its implications along with effects of debt corrections and accumulation that pose a potent danger on generation that are not even born as yet.

Fast on its heels has come the railway budget from the one month old Modi government and some strong correction measures towards the fare structure has attracted the much anticipated public outcry. A fare hike of an average of 14% in passenger fares and 6.5% on freight has resulted in the opposition out on the streets. Not to mention, the average Mumbaikar is unhappy when his lifeline, the Mumbai Suburban network getting twice as much dearer as a monthly pass of Rs. 200 now will cost Rs. 435.

The cynics are already call it, ‘Modi ke acche din’. But if we just scrape under the surface and try to understand the scenario, we would realise that this is a small step towards a whole mountain of debt that needs to be levelled to lay the tracks to move ahead. So how big is this mountain… well I tried to look up on the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) website but sadly could not get a figure- what I could definitely spot is that in November, the Railways raised Rs. 10,000 Cr. through tax free bonds. Why so much money raised in debt?

Just think of the sources of revenue for the Railways. Passenger fares (including ticket-less travel fines), freight charges; possibly sale of some scrap, commercial rights for advertising inside railway stations and wagons and possibly movie shoots. But let us place these heads against their expense heads. Running a railway network has operations costs of fuel/electricity, maintenance of older rolling stock and engines along with track side maintenance. Not to forget capital expenses can far outrun revenue if purchase of new wagons and engines, network expansion and infrastructure development is put together.

But the killer blow to all this is the man power cost. Indian Railways is the largest single employer in the world with a 24 x 7, 365 day operations to run this vast network smoothly. As with any employer; they need to pay their employees at the end of each month. Not to forget, every employee gets a pension which is a part of the welfare policies. And yes, every there are also hefty accident compensations.

So how deep in debt are we? And is there a reason to panic?

Honestly what the railways has experienced, we can extrapolate to the entire economy at present. A debt is nothing but a loan. Government raise this from people in the form of bonds as well as borrowings from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Every loan has a period and comes at an interest rate. The loans and its interest is repaid by means of the GDP of the country. The Debt to GDP ratio is usually an indication of how well a country can repay the debt. This ratio of India at present is 67.2% (highest amongst BRIC), which in isolation may not have much to suggest. But this figure combined with an economic slowdown and unrest looming in Iraq implies that there is likelihood that India will default on repayment of debts. And lest we forget, the overall external debt figure for India is up from USD 112 Billion in 2004 to USD 426 Billion in December 2013. So if left unattended, it is most likely to result in a debt bubble which will shackles of debt for the future generations .

Let me paint the larger picture a little better. Agriculture is offered a subsidy towards seeds, fertilizers, power and water. The government fixes a basic minimum price to safeguard farmers. In any eventuality, farmers are compensated to maintain their livelihood. We have a food safety bill, social medical set ups and rural employment scheme. We maintain a sizable defense force. Government employees and the armed forces are paid when they are working and even after they retire through pension. We have a subsidy on basic fuel and gas for households and various

So how can the government offer such subsidies and schemes? 

Technically, all this is something which can function through all forms of taxes paid. But the government is pushing SEZ in various sectors to raise the output and the GDP by offering tax holidays. Bottom-line, there is a gap between funds available and funding required. Public and external borrowings are short term solutions to a larger problem.

India is in a difficult debt cycle where we are borrowing for today against possible repayments for the future. If not controlled right now, it has the possibility to spiral into a situation of complete bankruptcy- much like what Greece suffered last year. The possible ways to control this is either to push the GDP higher (which is dependent on many external factors) or cut down on subsidies to manage this account better. The present government has chosen the latter, but before we get too critical on it decision, let us answer this in our mind- Are you in favour of policies of Popularism for today and ready to see an Economic collapse for the future generations; make your choice.

Demystifying Modi- A marketing perspective

The General Elections of 2014 have officially gone down as the biggest democratic exercise globally and the mandate has been an epic one for India. For the first time since 1984, a national party has the majority to form the government on its own and based on some indicatives, possibly the first time after 1972, a national leader selected by the people out of choice rather than the lack of it.

Yes, the BJP has emerged absolutely dominant across 5 states and enjoys over 80% votes in 5 others and the credit for this should go down to the grass root party workers. But for holding over 200 public addresses, inspiring and infusing enthusiasm in the party workers and building himself as a force to reckon with; it will be a complete three act dominated by Narendra Modi.

Leaving the debate whether brand Modi won the election or was it anything else to the political experts, I am only going to apply basic marketing principles to the success and place forth a simple perspective.

Give the people what they want: The very definition of marketing is focussed towards the needs of people. One factor India has been missing for a long time has been a strong and decisive central leadership. Possibly Indira Gandhi was the last known exponent of this trade and it reflected her resounding re-election in 1972; all thanks to her transformation from the ‘moom ki gudiya’ to the lady behind the victory in the Bangladesh liberation war.

Beyond elections have been just a series of counter actions and replacements to previous governments but never based on leadership. Morarji led coalition in 1977 an outcome of public dissent against the Indira governance. The re-election of Mrs Gandhi was due to the failure of the Janta Party. Rajiv Gandhi in 1984 got a massive sympathy wave, VP Singh in 1989, succeeded on the misdeeds of Rajiv, Chandrashekhar was a stop-gap and Narshimha Rao in 1991 got the benefits of another sympathy wave for Rajiv.

The 13 day Vajpayee government in 1996 failed an absolute mandate, Deve Gowda and I K Gujral were again stop gap arrangements. Vajpayee managed a coalition finally in 1999, but it failed to be decisive as it was always held at ransom by its allies. Manmohan Singh in 2004 was a last minute socially acceptable alternative and in 2009 there were little or no alternatives.

Narendra Modi in 2014 was a sign of definite leadership put forth before the Indian electorate. Who will be the PM had a definitive answer for months leading up to the elections and it was the biggest thing to have worked. Critics, party members and even media has come out saying that in a record turnout voting exercise; Modi was instrumental in installing confidence in the minds of a voter to give up on their inertia and apathy towards the government and exercise their vote.

A robust product: As a 3^rd term CM of one of India’s most rapidly developing state, Modi had suitable credentials to back him as a leader with decision making abilities. Gujarat under Modi was becoming a model state. The biggest beneficiary of the Sardar Sarovar project, water had now reached desert regions of Kutch and combined with hydro and solar power projects on the Narmada canal, Gujarat was now a power surplus state.

From an economic perspective, the swift action for the shift of the Tata Nano project in Sanand with the record time approvals and land allocations was a demonstration of the commanding stature of Modi against other state governments. No one could make such a profound statement by getting the approval from Tata, the gold standard in Indian industry, for their dream project.

Modi has gradually developed as a mark of decisive, progressive and development led governance. This was a much higher product promise presented to the Indians in a long time.   

Power of promotion: Like most others who have risen through the ranks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Modi has the mass appealing oratory skills that we seek in a leader. He had been a crowd puller with his well-articulated language and confident words.

In addition, the BJP left no stone unturned to build a nationwide campaign across every form of media. Apart from the effective use of social media, television interviews, radio ads, ground activities, rallies and even use of holographic at places- it was a complete and through media campaign.

Going places: Addressing 185 rallies in 45 days leading up to the final phase of elections is no mean feat; it averages to 4 rallies everyday across various parts of the country. To add to it, Modi never stayed over at any place post his address and made sure he was back in Gandhinagar every night. What this super human effort achieved was connecting to the last mile of voters and a gratification of sorts to every single person that the man has taken the effort to meet me in my town.

Multi- appeal positioning: Modi was remarkable positioned to appeal to every Indian in some or the other way to counter the political shortcomings on his resume. A 3^rd term CM with a reputation for global recognition towards good governance was the solution at hand for a country ridden by corruption and scams. For the corporate world, he was a morphine shot in the waiting to aid a crawling economy. His modest backgrounds echoed the sentiments of a commoner while his rise thought the RSS ranks was an encouragement to his party workers.

If religious fundamentalism was a stumbling block, the development model was a redeemer. If zero national experience was a flaw, his work under similar conditions in Gujarat was a strong point. If his age was a spot of concern as compared to other campaigners, his experience overruled the matters.

In an overall, there can be many more factors which we can draw; these were some prime in my opinion. The only hope I hold in my mind is for the faith rested by the voters on this one man leads him to make an incremental change to the lives of every Indian. 

General Elections- The great Indian Saga

It is deemed to be the largest political exercise on this planet involving close to a billion people. It might also be among the most expensive democratic exercise (cost us Rs 846.67 Crore in 2009) and practically a logistical nightmare. The great political tamasha called General Elections in India.

We live today in an age where communication and technology have transformed the coordination process; but I cannot even image the kind of pains Sukumar Sen, the first person to be the Election Commissioner in India, might have gone through. Holding elections in India in 1951-52 and 1957 might have been the most herculean task. A time when 85% of the 176 Mn age eligible voters were illiterate, a time when accessibility of some areas was almost impossible and designing a code of conduct, ballot papers, boxes and the procedures had no references. The worst of it all- registering 176 Mn voters onto a list.

A fitting tribute to his capabilities- Sen was also the Election Commissioner in Nepal and Sudan. Not to mention, there were a few votes cast with his name written on it by some in 1951- I feel people just felt that if one person can orchestrate a process so daunting; he can run a country as well.

Indian’s have always been starry eyed when it came to people they vote for. From the Thakur of a village to a religious head, a union leader to sportsmen, everyone has come under the democratic process at some point or the other. Film actors have a special mention here, as they have always portrayed larger than life characters. So if an MGR was campaigning, his words became the words of the god he played in his last super hit. This trend will only grow as I see it.

Electoral reforms have been coming in throughout the years beyond with change in the rules for political campaigning, propaganda and use of resources- but the Election Commissioner as a person rarely rose to a recognizable figure until almost 40 years after Sen. T N Seshan will possibly be always remembered as a man most responsible for cleaning up the election process- not to mention; feared by politicians and political parties alike. Seshan along with MS Gill and GVG Krishnamurthy was the trio who in my opinion could have also taken up against the Chicago mobs.

I did read that Gill and GVG were brought in by the government in power then to negate Seshan’s one man army by bringing in parallels- but together (along with all their internal disagreements) made the Election Commission a force to reckon with. Any irregularities in the election procedure, suspected malpractices or violations usually resulted in disqualification of the person or the result. The iron fist method was a remarkable success. Gill went on to succeed Seshan as the big boss and successfully brought in the Electronic Voting Machines- which now limit the possibilities of a booth capture or bogus voting to a fair extent. Not to mention, the counting process is now far more efficient and quicker.

One large and significant change that has come to the fore front of every election campaign has been spending of large sums of money on media campaigning. Penetration of radio and televisions across the country was very low till the 80's and the state run network only accessible to the ruling party. The traditional means of mass campaigning remained dominant with the megaphones on jeeps and last minute campaigning with car drop services for voters.

But advent of private television networks post 1991 firstly provided options to a wider array of options to the people. Add to it the rise of music videos and private albums- all contributed to use of new media in elections. It brought with it national debates on channels, opinion polls along with expert opinion panels.

By the time the 1996 elections came around, private media was well entrenched in India and I was also enriched with some understanding of the political parties and their policies. If media had anything to play, I got to see some of the political campaigning of the Rao government trying to push forth their development agenda and liberalization via a songs. What was funny in that song though, was seeing how the destitute couple was uplifted to their smiling glory by a government led by a leader whose frowns became a cartoonist delight.

The by-elections in 1999 were amazing for one reason- every political party had entire Video CD with songs in their praise and criticize the other. I still can’t get over “dauda dauda bhaaga bhaaga sa… Deve Gowda bhaaga bhaaga sa”, and attracting Bollywood singers and directors as the talent. Advertising agencies were running the political campaigns and public relation agencies wrote speeches, designed press releases and managing the public image of leaders to a level where even the dress they wore for a public appearance was orchestrated. Today I can listen to Modi adding in verses to Sukhvinder Singh's 'Saugandh mujhe iss mitti ki' almost 3 times an hour on radio and the 'Shiv Senaaaa' tune playing across Mumbai.  

Mobile phones as a medium of political campaigning came in dominance in 2004 with BJP having a pre-recorded message of Atal Behari Vajpayee playing out to every voter on a reliance network. In 2009, the UPA bought the rights for “Jai ho” and the NDA fought back in mocking them with “Bhay ho”… the latter failed miserably though.

Internet and social media has taken political campaigning to a whole new level. BJP and AAP are amongst the most prolific users of this media with dedicated teams working overnight. Youtube videos are helping voters excited. Websites are updated on daily basis and even a “Mann se hai Mulayam…” can become the talk of the town in minutes. Anything said in any form cannot miss the public eye and the person involved cannot get away saying he was misquoted.

Well, so the stage has been set for the next big saga to unfold… all that remains is how all the media and popularity transforms the political landscape of this country.