Chowkidar has become the most popular word this season. When Prime Minister Modi called himself a chowkidar (watchman), Opposition Congress coined the slogan Chowkidar chor hai (Watchman is thief). BJP then stepped up its Main bhi chowkidar campaign with Modi and other party leaders, including its president Amit Shah, prefixing the word 'chowkidar' to their names in their Twitter profile as they sought people's support in LS polls. The PM urged his supporters to take Main Bhi Chowkidar pledge to flight corruption.
Political slogans have left a lasting impression on voters. In 1965, Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan slogan by then PM Lal Bahadur Shashtri, hailing the soldiers and the farmers of the country was a huge hit. Some of Congress' popular slogans include Progress through Congress (1960s), Garibi hatao, Indira lao, Desh bachao (1971) (Abolish poverty, Bring Indira, Save India) and Sonia nahi yeh aandhi hai, doosri Indira Gandhi hai (2009) (Sonia is second Indira). Jayaprakash Narayan's Janata Party countered it with Indira hatao, Desh bachao (Remove Indira, Save India).
ater, BJP had its share of interesting slogans like Sabko Dekha Bari Bari, Abki Bari Atal Bihari (We have seen several others, now it's Atal Bihari's turn), Abki bar Modi sarkar (2014) and India Shining. Congress hit back saying Aam Aadmi Ko Kya Mila? (What did the common
man get?)
Achche din turned out to be most popular poll phrase which made Modi PM in 2014. In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee came to power with her slogan Maa, Maati, Manush (Mother, motherland and people) in 2011.
The slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan (Hail soldier, hail farmer, hail science) laid stress on scientific temper. Yes, we can — Barack Obama's slogan in the 2008 presidential election — remains one of the most popular catchwords even today.
Back home, AIADMK had slogans like Naalai namathe 40m namathe (Tomorrow is ours, 40 seats are ours), Aayirathil Oruvan (One among thousands). DMK's Seivadai solvum, solvadai seivom and PMK's Vanniyar ottu anniyaruku illai have also grabbed people's attention.
Slogans add spice to electioneering and voters love hearing their favourite party leaders raise them. With political parties crossing the language barriers to woo voters, it is no surprise that chowkidar has become an instant hit with voters in Tamil Nadu ruled by Dravidian parties for decades.
