By Alok Singh
New Delhi, March 25 (IANS): A group of young professionals, who are hobby singers and supporters of the Aam Admi Party (AAP), are scripting a musical campaign for the party in this election.
They have formed a band and plan to campaign in cities big and small, including Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai, with their songs in a bid to woo young voters. They also plan to rope in local musicians in their campaign.
The group of four-five artistes will carry musical instruments, visiting cards of the party and a banner inscribed with a social message.
Nandan Mishra, an IIT Kanpur alumnus and former bank employee, has converted his hobby of playing the guitar and singing into campaigning for the AAP with his "band of activists."
"We want more such people to join us. The people who are interested in singing and are serious about the campaign are welcome," Mishra told IANS.
"In Haryana we get folk singers who perform for the party. They are running the campaign along with other party members," he said.
The idea of forming a band was adopted before the Delhi elections last December and was successfully run across the national capital. The AAP had won 28 seats in the 70-member assembly and formed a minority government that lasted only 49 days.
"We covered 11 markets, including Connaught Place, Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Rajauri Garden for around two months before the Delhi elections," Mishra said.
The campaign was known as "Play For Change." Music director Vishal Dadlani, singer Jasleen Kaur and TV actor Raghu Ram had also joined them.
"For the Lok Sabha polls, the campaign has been started in metro cities. It will be soon taken to smaller cities like Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi and Bhopal," said Kapil, who works for an IT company.
"In the band of activists in Delhi, there are five members. It includes two female volunteers who quit their jobs and joined the party. In Bangalore, out of four members, two are working but still manage time for the activity," Kapil said.
He also said that they took permission from the election officers of the areas concerned before beginning the campaign.