Amidst the noise of municipal elections in Telangana, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar presented a unique sight in Husnabad on Thursday, when she herself grabbed the attention of voters by taking over the steering of an auto-rickshaw and tried to make inroads among the public by donning the avatar of a ‘common man’. This sight was shocking for the spectators, because a minister who usually travels in VIP vehicles was suddenly seen driving an auto.
During this, Minister Ponnam Prabhakar left his convoy behind and boarded a yellow auto-rickshaw. He not only drove the car, but also picked up passers-by and talked to them. People liked his style very much, and as soon as they saw him, a crowd gathered there. The minister shook hands with the people and also listened to their problems. He said that only by living among the general public he can understand their pain and can solve the problems of auto drivers in a better way.
Political stunting not a new trick in Telangana?
This is not a new method for election strategists. Such ‘stunt’ tendencies by leaders have been seen before in Telangana politics. Be it working in the fields as a farmer or selling vegetables on the street, leaders have been adopting new ways to connect with the public in every election. Even before this, many veteran leaders have been seen leading a normal life during elections, so that the voters feel that the leader is among them.
However, critics say that all this is just an election drama, which is done only to maintain the vote bank. But the ground reality is also that such programs create the image of leaders as a ‘people’s leader’ and leave a different impact in the minds of the general public. At present, this auto drive style of Ponnam Prabhakar is becoming quite viral on social media and has become a topic of discussion.
