CHENNAI: This election season, alongside traditional stage shows and choreographed dance routines, campaign trails feature lookalikes of party leaders, drum processions and even performers dressed in animal costumes to draw crowds. These tactics create a carnival-like atmosphere in neighbourhoods and help draw attention. Campaigns have turned theatrical too, with MLA candidates accompanied by lookalikes of their party leaders. In Kolathur, TVK candidate VS Babu drew crowds by campaigning alongside a lookalike of Vijay. In Villivakkam, a person dressed in a gorilla costume grabbed attention during a DMK campaign. Cyber space is another campaign arena that’s seeing a lot of activity. All camps have fielded social media warriors.A Shiva, a media professional working with a BJP alliance IT wing, said: “We have a WhatsApp group where I send high-quality video footage. Another producer decides what cuts and what song can be put over the videos for maximum reach and engagement.”However, Dha Velu, incumbent DMK MLA and candidate for Mylapore, stresses the importance of personal connect. “Videos on social media are short-lived. People forget what they see within seconds, which is why personal connection is important. “I have more than 25 years of fieldwork. I conduct door-to-door campaigns and ensure that I cover 14 streets a day.” He also distributed booklets and PDFs detailing his achievements to residents soon after the elections were announced, banking on familiarity and recall value.Street-corner meetings have become far less frequent compared with previous years, largely due to police restrictions, as such gatherings often lead to roadblocks and inconvenience to the public. Senior leaders still opt for caravan-based campaigns, which allow them to address crowds from all sides, offering 360 outreach.
