Lotus, hand, broom – Ahmedabad walls are at war. Residents unhappy
FeaturesThe FinePrint

Lotus, hand, broom – Ahmedabad walls are at war. Residents unhappy

It all started with BJP launching a state-wide drive to paint the lotus on the walls in March. With the Congress and AAP following suit, now it's a mad race.

   
Graffiti on Ahmedabad walls | Janki Dave/ThePrint

Graffiti on Ahmedabad walls | Janki Dave/ThePrint

New Delhi: Ahmedabad’s walls have turned into a political battleground ahead of the Gujarat assembly elections in December. The lotus, the hand, and the broom are the new ubiquitous graffiti on flyovers, parks, schools, residential buildings and Metro pillars.

In the era of digital campaigns and WhatsApp wars, this back-to-the-basics style of politics is also making residents question why public places are being defiled.

“Most of the roads, Metro pillars and flyovers are painted with party symbols. Why aren’t authorities restraining the political parties?” said Niraj Bariya, digital marketer and a resident of Chandkheda locality. “It’s not just the city roads. I travelled from Motera to Sabarmati recently, and all I could notice were party symbols of the Congress, BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] and AAP [Aam Aadmi Party].”

Barely 10 kilometres from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, the arterial road of Ahmedabad called the Ashram Road has become the favourite canvas for political rivalry today. The Income Tax flyover, inaugurated in 2019, earlier had an M.K. Gandhi painted on its pillars. Now it has the BJP symbol — the lotus — painted on both sides. The AAP is also competing with the ‘Ek moko Kejriwal ne’ (One chance to Kejriwal) broom.

Income Tax Flyover | Janki Dave/ThePrint

According to the BJP, this is a much stronger method to communicate with the voters. “We have never believed in ditching the old methods of campaigning,” said Yamal Vyas, Gujarat BJP spokesperson. “Party symbols on the wall serve as a constant reminder of the work BJP has done. Social media and digital methods have limited outreach, but the party symbol on the walls has a connect at the grassroots level.”


Also Read: Gujarat govt to rename dragon fruit ‘Kamalam’ as it resembles lotus, says CM Rupani


Following BJP’s steps

It all started with the BJP launching a state-wide drive to paint the lotus on the walls on 13 March 2022. Soon, the Congress and the AAP followed suit. And now it is a mad race for maximum visibility — all at the cost of public walls.

While rivals such as the AAP and Congress have raised objections to BJP party symbols at a few locations, they have not refrained from following in the latter’s footsteps. “We are the ones who first started this kind of campaign for the 2007 Gujarat elections, but the BJP objected to it back then and got it banned by local bodies. Now, the BJP is scared of the failures of its government in the state,” Congress leader and former Union minister Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki told ThePrint.

For the AAP, Gujarat is a fight that the party will pull all stops for. Party leader and spokesperson Yogesh Jadvani said, “Our party is contesting from all 182 seats for the first time in Gujarat. A lot of people here may know [Arvind] Kejriwal, AAP but may be unaware about our party symbol—the broom. BJP workers have tried to wipe off our symbols or painted theirs on ours at several locations.’

Political parties claim it’s not illegal and there is no violation of law.

Yamal Vyas said, “Ayurvedic doctors, small shops and companies, others also paint the walls. Closer to the elections, EC [Election Commission] ensures the walls are clean. We are not violating any rule.”

AAP has claimed that they are taking ‘manjoori patra’ (permission note) to paint private walls, and it’s the BJP that is ruining all public walls. But according to the Amdavad Municipal Corporation, this is against the rulebook and authority is trying to repaint them, one wall at a time.

“Using public walls to paint or stick banners is not allowed, but every election we face this problem. We are working on it zone-wise and repainting the walls. It’s a long process,” Manish Master, Estate Officer, said. “Closer to elections, we have more resources. We also try to rope in private companies to repaint the walls once the code of conduct kicks in, but as of now, we have limited resources.’


Also Read: BJP gets its party hat on: Uttarakhand-style saffron topis, made in Gujarat, to be new ‘uniform’


Livelihood for some

At the Bakul Tripathi Municipal Udyan, Urmila Patel, who was on a morning walk with her eight-year-old child, complained: “The parties haven’t spared any space. Look at the wall here (outer wall of the park), party symbols are here too.”

The walls of Bakul Tripathi Municipal Udyan | Janki Dave/ThePrint

But this ‘wall war’ is benefitting some too. Naresh Shikari, who lives in the narrow lanes of Shahpur, has been painting party symbols for the last three months. “Rs 70 for just the party logo on white background and Rs 100 for a coloured painting,” he said. “I have no political affiliation. I am just a painter, a worker earning his bread. We normally paint during early morning hours and at night due to the heat and distractions. I have been getting orders from all parties and painted symbols for Congress, AAP and BJP. This year, I have received more work, not just for this area but also for those across the river.”

(Edited by Humra Laeeq)