Jaipur: A day before polling, independent candidates in the ward elections are turning slippers, balloons, telephones and other everyday objects into campaign brands, using their allotted symbols to build recall against rivals backed by established party machinery.Since symbols were allotted on Sept 4, independents have plastered them across posters, pamphlets and banners. Rajasthan’s list of 40 free symbols includes cupboards, mixers, refrigerators, gas stoves and sewing machines, along with quirkier choices such as green chilli, cauliflower, bangles, slippers, shoes, ice cream and balloons.The result is a campaign trail with an unusual visual language. In Bharatpur, an independent candidate was seen campaigning with shoes placed on his head, turning his allotted symbol into a prop. In Jaipur’s ward 8, independent candidate Manju Sharma, whose symbol is a balloon, has been distributing balloons among children.“We have to work with what we have and want to create an identity, so people remember us,” Sharma said. “On Janmashtami, we started decorating our ward gardens and colony gates with balloons.”In ward 81, independent candidate Shankar Singh Gurjar is campaigning with a slipper as his symbol. It was not his first choice. Gurjar said he had wanted the telephone, but the symbol was in high demand and he was allotted the slipper through a lottery.“I was expecting a ticket from Congress, but since that did not work out, I’m happy that my allotted symbol of a slipper is unique and memorable for people,” he said.The telephone went to candidates including Swati Pranami, an independent from ward 149, who said she is contesting with the symbol for the second time this year.“The telephone has been very lucky for me and it is also something which helps me do my work and serve my ward diligently. We run a ward WhatsApp group for quick redressal of residents’ complaints and it is all possible because of the dear phone,” she said.Srikant Vyas, SDM, Jaipur City North, said candidates submit their preferred symbols from the list of 40 provided by the election commission. “If more than one candidate opts for the same symbol, it is decided through a lottery,” he said.Some symbols have drawn more interest than others. A report on Jaipur’s preferences found cupboards and charpais among the popular choices, while green chillies, cauliflowers and bangles had fewer takers.For independents, that oddness may help. Unlike party symbols already familiar to voters, a balloon, slipper, charpai or green chilli can stand out on the ballot paper and give a candidate one more chance to be remembered.
