Selfies to social media: Different shades of PU campaigning

CHANDIGARH: Every election season, student leaders come up with innovative ways to campaign. From songs and slogans to selfies and eco-friendly campaigning, candidates are trying their best to woo voters on the Panjab University (PU) campus.
In addition to the fancy cars, jeeps and motorcycles, like Harleys, that have been the cynosure of PU campaigning for years, selfies and social media campaigning have become the latest addition to the campaign techniques.
On Friday, Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad's Anjali, who is contesting for the post of vice-president in the ABVP-PUSU alliance, started a 'selfie with voters' campaign. She was seen clicking selfies with the supporters of the organizations to connect with students through the images splashed on social media. Similar images from other colleges have also emerged on social media with supporters posing with fancy phones and party stickers during campaigning.
Using social media as a tool for campaigning, each organization is trying to outdo others. National Students Union of India's satire series against Students Organization of India (SOI), where the organization is seen asking voters not to vote for those who involve outsiders and offer freebies, has received many �likes' and �shares'.
Himachal Students Union's Preeti Negi, who is the vice-presidential candidate for the SOI-HIMSU-NSO-INSO alliance, went for an eco-friendly campaigning. Going around the campus with campaigners on bicycles, Negi also wore a Himachali cap to attract voters from the state. The campaigners also used green HIMSU flags to send out the message of �Go Green'.