Tiffin box, cooker, books with MLA’s photo make for popular gifts ahead of polls season.

Behind the News is your round up of musings from the corridors of power. Read what goes on behind the scenes for news & newsmakers.

BySouth First Desk

Published Nov 25, 2022 | 9:35 PMUpdatedApr 11, 2023 | 5:44 PM

Behind the News

With less than six months left for the 2023 Assembly polls in Karnataka, politicians have not only kick-started campaigning but have also found many ways to lure voters in their respective constituencies.

Incumbent MLAs in Karnataka’s Belagavi have a wide range of gifts to offer to voters. Cookers, tiffin boxes, books for students — all with photos of smiling Netas — are making for popular gifts to woo voters. Even ticket aspirants are giving away attractive gifts — party no bar.

Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar was found distributing tiffin carriers to hundreds of women during a religious event in her Assembly segment recently. Hebbalkar participated in ‘Haladi Kumkum’ — an annual religious programme, where women apply vermilion and turmeric powder to each other. On the cover of each tiffin box was a photo of Hebbalkar and with her name “Laxmi Tai” printed prominently.

It is not just Laxmi Hebbalkar, even her colleague, Khanapur MLA Dr Anjali Nimbalkar, was found wooing voters with her followers giving away presents to hundreds of people in an event recently.

Meanwhile, sitting MLAs in Belagavi City did not spare an opportunity to gain political benefit from the upcoming 12th grade board exams, which are scheduled in March. The local MLAs were found announcing freebies such as guide books to help the students studying in Class 12 for the preparations for the board exams.

Meanwhile, few aspirants for the forthcoming Assembly polls were reportedly found sponsoring sporting events and extending financial assistance to the teams for the purchase of jerseys and other paraphernalia.