From studios to streets: Artisans gear up for Telangana elections

HYDERABAD: While many people remember 1983 because of India’s unexpected victory at the Cricket World Cup, it was a totally different kind of event which took place that year that spurred the career of Vellore J Narendar, who has over 40 years of experience in decorating campaign vehicles. The 1983 election was a pivotal moment in the State’s history as it saw the first non-Congress chief minister, NT Rama Rao.

“When I was in my 20s, I worked as a junior artiste. I vividly recall painting 100-foot-tall election banners of NTR during the campaign for the Assembly elections in 1983,” he tells TNIE. With pride, he recalls NTR’s victory coinciding with his foray into decorating campaign vehicles or pracharam vans, as they are locally known.

With the Election Commission of India (ECI) announcing the dates for the elections to the Telangana Legislative Assembly, the political scene across the State is charged up. The air is abuzz with the excitement and anticipation that the polls hold.

It was learnt that the three major parties in the State — BRS, Congress and the BJP — have already placed orders for campaign vehicles. This is quite evident in the way that the NTR stadium has transformed over the last few weeks. When entering the stadium, one can now see a line of mini trucks being transformed into campaign vehicles on one side, while on the other side, carpenters can be seen affixing plywood boards to the vehicles. In the middle of it all, artisans are applying finishing details.

“A team of 200 workers, including carpenters, painters and other skilled labourers, is currently assembling 10 to 15 vehicles daily. These workers have been recruited from different studios across the city, with a significant portion originating from renowned establishments like Ramoji Film City and Annapurna Studios. This influx of workers during the election season is a common occurrence. The workers operate in groups, commencing their tasks at 9 am and concluding at 9 pm. We provide for their accommodation and meal expenses, ensuring they can focus entirely on their work as the orders keep coming,” says D Chanda Rao, proprietor of Chinna Cine Arts, one of the major suppliers to the political parties over the past 30 years.

The approximate decoration cost of these mini trucks varies from Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000. The decorated trucks are then supplied to the parties with an additional charge on top of the decoration cost.

As the elections approach, the cost of the decorations is expected to rise further. The parties send the mini-trucks to NTR stadium, Exhibition Grounds in Nampally, Nayapul, and several other locations in Hyderabad, for assembly and decorations.