Videos rule this campaign season

From ‘Nikhil ellideeyappa’ trolls to official party posts, social media is flooded with politically loaded visuals this time

Election campaigning came to an end on Tuesday but social media videos continue to do the rounds.

This season’s campaign has seen more activity online than on the streets.

In Karnataka, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy’s question at a film event---‘Ellideeyappa Nikhil?’ (Where are you, Nikhil?)--- triggered the best memes. It was also the most viciously trolled video this season.

The videos are being circulated extensively on Facebook and WhatsApp.

Metrolife draws your attention to some:

Dancy promotion

Bengaluru’s own dance couple Nirupama and Rajendra came out with a video asserting on ‘Our dharma to vote’, interspersed with stills from their stage performances. The video soon turns into a promotion, with the dancers saying he should be voted back because people abroad speak ‘so high of our country’. Many such fans have put out videos.

Dad, sonny in discussion

This one is official. A dreamy video on Narendra Modi’s Facebook page starts off with a man and his son talking about how careless young people are when it comes to voting. The boy answers poetically that he is aware of his responsibilities.

Appeal to first-timers

The ‘Nation with NaMo’ Facebook page has a rap video addressing the first time voters with a tagline ‘My first vote for Modi’. The word ‘done!’ is used against each project spelled out.

‘Changemakers’

The Congress is putting out videos too, but not as many as the hyperactive BJP. In this video, Rahul Gandhi waves at people and shakes hands with them, and there’s also footage showing Jawaharlal Nehru as one of the changemakers of the country.

Simple yet striking slides

Congress leader Dr Jury Sharma Bordoloi’s 21 second-video post is quick to grab attention with its thumping music and easy words. The video highlights women’s safety, jobs, freedom of speech and quality for education. The slide ‘We want to be us’ shows a wrist with a rainbow band, doffing a hat at the sexual minorities. The video ends with the Congress slogan ‘Ab hoga nyay’ (Now justice will be done).

Voiceless but not muted

A public interest video shows school students asking citizens to vote and think about who they want to represent them.

Communicated through sign language and sub-titles, the children say they are not mute but have no voice as they are not old enough to vote. Their plea: ‘Your vote is our voice, use it wisely.’