Tejasvi Surya's rally showcases stellar stagecraft

Bengaluru: LS Tejasvi Surya's entry into Kempapura Agrahara (Ward 122) in Vijayanagar on Tuesday evening played out like a well-crafted movie scene.

The BJP candidate for the Bangalore South constituency arrived on a white Himalayan motorbike, paid obeisance to Male Mahadeshwara at the temple on Sangolli Rayanna Road before getting on a modified pickup.

His supporters waited for his first wave to shower him with flower petals from a nearby five-storey building. Amid all this action, 600 people rhythmically chanted ‘Surya, Surya, Surya...”

A few hundred joined the rally as it progressed, a testament to his wider fanbase in the constituency. Most of them are youngsters. Adding more spice to the rally were a large contingent of JD(S) supporters, who joined the rally with the chant ‘Jai Shri Ram'.

Surya's late arrival seemed deliberate and worked well for him as it gave time for more supporters to gather and raise the decibel levels. Two rap songs listing out the Modi government’s and the 33-year-old fledgling leader’s work in the last five years became crowd favourites.

Despite being an impressive orator, Surya let his supporters do much of the talking along the rally. He later told DH that doctors advised him not to talk much due to a throat infection.

Chants praising Modi reverberated in every nook and corner of KP Agrahara. Among the loudest were: "Deshakke Modi, Dakshinakke Surya” (Modi for the nation, Surya for the South); "Magadomme Modi, Matthomme Surya” (Modi again, Surya once more); and "Modi Ge Matha, Namagella Hita” (Vote for Modi, welfare for us). 

High praise by the announcer for JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy galvonised their cadres. Supporters of the saffron alliance also urged people not to fall for the Congress government’s five guarantees, especially as Surya’s rival Soumya Reddy is seeking votes on her party’s guarantees.

Well-crafted

Surya’s campaign targets smaller groups and communities. Beginning his campaign at 6 am on Tuesday, Surya walked to parks and hotels around BTM Layout, Koramangala and Tavarekere, seeking votes among morning walkers and pedestrians.

He also chose the afternoon hours to hold his community meetings since working people would not be available in the morning. He met the weaver community in Chickpet and attended Vishwakarma Samavesha in Girinagar and Kurubara Samavesha in Jayanagar till evening.

He ended the day on a high note with the rally in KP Agrahara, a working-class neighbourhood.

Candid chat 

1) How has your election campaign been in this harsh summer?

I have received a lot of support from people. Citizens are everything to us (BJP) and for the betterment of people, we need the BJP again. Bringing our party to power is on our shoulders and weather conditions won’t matter. No weather conditions can dampen my spirits.

2) Why should people vote for you?

I am a go-to man. People have seen my work during the Covid pandemic. I expedited Namma Metro's Yellow Line works. I ensured 78% money recovery in the Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Niyamitha scam. My work speaks for me.

3) How will the BJP fare nationally? Will 'Surya' rise again in the South?

We are sure to win 400 seats. And as far as Bangalore South is concerned, I will surely win with a larger margin.