Delhi Assembly Polls: Poster War Breaks Out as Political Parties Compete for Voter Attention

New Delhi: In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls, streets and public places in the national capital are awash with campaign posters as political parties vie for the voters' attention.

The ruling AAP and its closest rival, BJP, dominate the poster war, sending across political messages like "Phir Layenge Kejriwal" to "Ab Nahi Sahenge, Badal Ke Rahenge" and putting up banners at vantage points like billboards, main roads, residential colonies, walkways and marketplaces across the city.

From social media platforms to the city's roads, innovative posters based on popular movies and trends are copiously used by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to build their narratives on varying issues, including corruption and law and order.

The two parties have employed creative strategies to attract voters, using AI-generated posters and videos inspired by famous movie dialogues and posters.

Dialogues and catchwords of the blockbuster "Pushpa 2" movie have especially inspired the campaign strategists of the two parties for launching attacks and counter-attacks on each other.

The AAP has targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah by coming up with a poster featuring the iconic "Mogambo Khush Hua" dialogue from the movie "Mr India", with Amrish Puri's villainous character re-imagined to highlight rising concerns in Delhi, including increasing crime rates.

On the streets, the AAP's posters featuring Kejriwal, accompanied by the "Phir Layenge Kejriwal" slogan, are prominently displayed and illuminated in many areas. The BJP's banners proclaiming "Ab Nahin Sahenge, Badal Ke Rahenge" are also making an effort to capture public attention.

"Kejriwal, jawab do -- sadkon mein gaddhe hain ya gaddhon mein sadak hai (We demand an answer from Kejriwal -- do we have potholes in roads or roads in potholes)?" reads one of the posters in east Delhi, branding the former chief minister as "Jhutha Kejriwal (Kejriwal, a liar)".

"Jahan nal se naale sa paani aaye, kya ye hai meri Dilli (Is this my Delhi, where sewage water flows from the taps)?" questions another poster displayed on a south Delhi flyover.

Meanwhile, the AAP has posted another creative video on its X handle, using an iconic clip from popular web series "Panchayat". The video shows a fan running, which switches off after the BJP is elected, accompanied by the tagline "BJP Aayegi, Bijli Jayegi".

In another dig at the saffron party, the AAP has highlighted Delhi's education system, referencing Uttar Pradesh's infamous bulldozer events under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with the statement -- "BJP ko vote diya to aapke bachhon ke school par chal jayega BJP ka bulldozer (if you vote for the BJP, then your kids' schools will be razed using bulldozers)".

Hitting back at the AAP over its advertisements, the BJP has specifically targeted the mohalla clinics with a poster that reads, "Apni galti ka dosh doosron pe daalne walon se Dilli karegi breakup (Delhi is going to severe ties with those who blame others for their own faults)".

Elections for the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due in February next year. The AAP, which is ruling the capital since 2015, is likely to have a direct fight with the BJP as Kejriwal, the party's national convenor, has ruled out the possibility of any alliance with the Congress.

With PTI Inputs