With exactly a month left for the Assembly elections, political parties are brainstorming over ways to quell the swine flu fear so that the numbers don't drop on voting day.
With exactly a month left for the Assembly elections, political parties are brainstorming over ways to quell the swine flu fear so that the numbers don't drop on voting day. They're also doing their best to convince voters they're concerned by taking precautions against the spread of the virus during campaigning.
Some parties like the MNS and BSP have decided their course of action. Balasaheb Shirole, campaign head ofu00a0 MNS, said that during the party's door-to-door campaign, all workers will wear masks. "At least 200 to 300 MNS workers will wear masks to ensure that the H1N1 virus does not spread because of the campaign. We are also appealing to people that while attending Raj Thackeray's rallies, they should wash their hands and use masks."
BSP's state general secretary Kiran Alhat, added, "Mayawati will address a huge rally in Pune in the first week of October and will distribute masks there."
Will it tide over?
But the Congress is taking a passive approach. "Swine flu is a cause of concern in our campaign. We believe that the epidemic may be in control before voting day," said a highly placed source from the party.
Professor Suhas Palshikar, a political analyst and former HOD of Pune University's political science department, said there is a trend of less voting in an urban area like Pune. "Those who normally don't vote will have an excuse to stay away because of the swine flu situation," he added.
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