Adilabad: Bathukamma festival has turned an occasion for BRS leaders to attract voters in their favour in the forthcoming assembly elections in Mancherial district.
Women organisers playing the Bathukamma are being donated Bluetooth tower DJ speakers and mikes as gifts in Chennur assembly constituency of Mancherial district.
Senior BRS leader Sarvotham Reddy of Bheemaram, a staunch supporter of contesting candidate Balka Suman, has is distributed tower DJ speakers and mikes to many women groups demand them to play the songs while playing the Bathukamma in their localities.
Sarvotham Reddy is appealing to women to vote for Balka Suman as a return gift in the next elections.
Women and men of Kotapalli, Jaipur and Chennur mandals are approaching senior BRS leaders at mandal level seeking gifts, so that they could mobile people in support of BRS.
Some men have formed groups and are mounting pressure on contesting candidates to provide them sheep, goats and liquor to celebrate the Dasara feast.
However, the traditional Bathukamma dances and songs with rhythmic claps are missing at many places. Women, teenagers and young girls have turned Bathukamma into a dandiya-type event.
There are also reports that key supporters of contesting candidates are collecting Aadhaar cards from voters, so that they can be distributed gifts in view of the elections.
