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The SP might be trying to signal hip and fresh,but the campaign song is one of the oldest traditions in representative politics. In the US,many a presidential contest has turned on a song. The first presidential elections were won with the help of God save Great Washington,riffing on God save the King. And in post-Depression America,Franklin D. Roosevelt came to power singing Happy Days are Here Again. In India,around the time the Congress was fighting its earliest elections in the 1930s,support for the freedom movement was whipped up with songs set to the tune of bhajans. A few decades later,IPTA songs,speaking of revolution and empowerment,would be used to great effect by the Left in Bengal.

For campaign jingles to be effective,parties must find the right song for the moment. The Congresss Chak de didnt work in Gujarat 2007; neither did Jai jai Bhim,with its references to a grim Dalit past,appeal to voters in UP in 2012. Now,the BJP talks up Narendra Modi and his development record in strident numbers sung by Rocky Mittal. Ahead of the Delhi election,the AAP promises a lofty change with Kailash Khers Ambar tak yahi naad goonjega. The Congress has also piped up with a valiant Nahin rukegi meri Dilli. Which song will find its moment?

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