NEW DELHI: Delhi’s electoral battleground intensifies with BJP and AAP deploying street theatre to engage voters, highlighting achievements and allegations.
As the polls in Delhi inch closer, all the parties have intensified their campaigns to woo the voters on their side. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have embraced street theatre to captivate Delhiites in their favour. Earlier this week, the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put together a ‘nukkad natak’ (street plays) as a part of their campaign. Besides, street plays, puppet and magic shows, poetry recitals, music bands, and flash mobs have also been lined up to apprise people of the prime minister Narendra Modi government’s achievements.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, ‘Nukkad natak’ are a very powerful medium of communication and deliver messages to people effectively. They also play an important role in community engagement, and with the help of this, we apprise people of the Modi government’s achievements. He added, “Through this, we will also expose the corruption and misrule of the Kejriwal government.”
One of the themes of the street plays is “From Wagon R to Tihar,” which targets Delhi chief minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal over corruption charges. Another theme is “Wedding procession without groom,” which aims to attack the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc for not declaring a prime ministerial candidate.
Other themes of the street plays are to focus on the achievements of the BJP-led central government under PM Modi in the last 10 years. Keeping the diverse population of Delhi in mind, shows will be presented in English and in other regional languages, which include Bhojpuri, Maithili, Garhwali, and Punjabi. Like the Delhi BJP, the AAP has also decided to organise ‘Nukkad Natak’ in their campaign, ‘Jail ka Jawab Vote se’. In a compelling street play, the AAP mobilises Delhiites to answer the arrest of CM Arvind Kejriwal with their votes. On the other hand, the AAP’s street plays in Patel Nagar encouraged people to elect the right government. “Public should choose the right candidate to raise the voice of Delhiites in Parliament, which the BJP MPs have never raised,” said the Delhi mayor, Shelly Oberoi. She further said that Arvind Kejriwal is a follower of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. “Baba Saheb wrote such a commendable Constitution of India, giving everyone the power to vote.
Today, with the power of the same vote, let us win and send the AAP candidate to Parliament and end the dictatorial BJP government by answering the arrest through votes,” she said.