On the agenda: image wizards lend leaders a strategic hand

BJP candidate from New Delhi Vijay Goel has employed Garuda advertising agency to take care of the publicity and also other media professionals,each with their jobs cut out. His opponent from the Congress,Ajay Maken,depends on a cadre of young scholars from the Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Delhi University,who stage-manage his roadshows.

As seen earlier,middle-aged party workers — who doubled up as campaign managers — have slowly been edged out of the green room since leaders believe one has to be eyeball grabbing to get the youth.

Vijay Goel said: “Young professionals have innovative ideas,exude energy and have a clear vision of the message they want to convey. That apart,we have engaged agencies to do the creatives for campaigning and image building.” He is also fond of the students helping him — who make sure Goel reaches his audience by every means possible. “This is a leaf out of Advaniji’s campus campaign,” Goel said.

Congress candidate Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi,who has engaged media and advertising professional Viamedia,said these professionals made campaigns more informative and most of all strategic. “The media plays a big role in the way things are perceived. However,the image of a leader is actually built by his direct interaction with the people,” Mishra added.

Sources said in order to challenge Mishra’s strategy,his BJP opponent Jagdish Mukhi is on the look-out for a media coordinator. Sitting MP Krishna Tirath already has one — Sambandh Image Advisory.

On the other hand,this is a just a job for certain public relations firms,as some are simultaneously managing the campaigns of several political leaders. Rainbow PR Agency’s Bobby Tanwar said: “We are working for BJP’s Chetan Chauhan,BSP’s Kanwar Singh Tanwar and also Congress’s Vipin Sharma,who is contesting by-elections from Rohtash Nagar.”

There are still a few old guards,who have fallen back on the tried-and-tested method of being helped by party workers. Congress’s J P Aggarwal has the staff of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee helping him in his campaign; while BL Sharma Prem,Meera Kanwaria,Sandeep Dikshit,Ramesh Bidhuri and Ramesh Kumar are also being ‘managed’ by party workers.