BJP's Kolaveri remix: Why this mehangai, mehangai ji?

Popular Tanglish song 'Kolaveri di' and the raunchy 'Ooh La La' number are rocking Uttarakhand's Garwhal hills with the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party candidates using parodies of the songs to take potshots at each other.

Both parties are trying to cash in on the popularity of hit numbers to reach out to the masses and get their message across. Using 'Kolaveri Di', the BJP campaign song asks "Why this mehangai, mehangai ji?" (Why this price rise) and then adds "Congress se poocho na" (ask the Congress).

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"Petrol price up- up, ration price bhi up, life ho gai thapp, why is Congress chup" (Petrol Price is up and so is the price of ration, life is at a standstill so why is the Congress silent) goes the jingle.

Besides Kolaveri, the song from Bollywood flick The Dirty Picture 'Ooh La La' also has been transformed to suit the BJP's poll campaign. "Ghotala-Ghotala, mehangai ghotala, aam aadmi ki lag gayi" (Scam after scam and inflation, the common man has had it) sings the male voice. "Choona na, Choona na, Uttarakhand ko Choona na, pol teri khul gayi" (Don't touch Uttarakhand, your secret is out), sings the woman singer.

BJP workers say these songs helps get the message across in a manner, which is popular among the masses, especially youth. "Our purpose is to take our message to the masses and these songs are very popular among them," explained a BJP worker who was campaigning for the party candidate here.

However, the Congress candidate from Srinagar, Ganesh Godiyal is not impressed. "The important part is to concentrate on the real issues, people will not vote for you only because they like a jingle," he said.

 "A folk singer had recently come out with a song which hit at the corruption during BJP's rule. But my focus is on interacting directly with my voters," Godiyal said.

The two parties are also engaged in a battle of slogans. While the BJP ad campaign in the print and electronic media focus on the persona of B C Khanduri with slogan 'Khanduri hai zaroori (Khandoori is necessary), the Congress advertisements focus on its central leadership with the slogan "Aur barbaad nahi hone denge apne Uttarakhand ko" (Now will not allow any more damage of our Uttarakhand).