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Bihar
Polls: Candidates ride Nepal radio waves
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 04:59:12 PM,
Imran Khan,
IANS
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Patna:
Never mind if they are riding foreign radio waves. Dozens of
candidates in the Bihar assembly polls are finding the FM radio
stations of neighbouring Nepal quite handy in wooing voters.
Nearly half a dozen Nepal FM radio stations are airing
advertisments by candidates in Madhepura, Supaul, Madhubani,
Kishanganj, Araria, Sheohar, Saharsa, Muzaffarpur, and East and
West Champaran districts.
Candidates cutting across party lines have opted this medium.
A ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader told IANS on condition of
anonymity that there are no such homegrown FM radio stations in
Bihar's bordering districts, so they have little choice.
"We have no option but to use the services of Nepali FM radio
stations to reach out to our voters," he said. He said a campaign
advertisement of 40 seconds costs Rs.3,000-4,000 for 12
insertions.
Nepal FM stations like Jaleshwarnath FM from Jaleswar, Rajdevi FM
93.2 from Gaur Baxzar, Radio Mithila, Madhesi Radio, Radio Today
and Janakpur Radio from Janakpur are beaming advertisements in
favour Bihar candidates, said a senior police officer posted near
the Nepal border.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader in Madhubani said FM radio
stations operating in Nepal were a cheap medium for
electioneering. "These FM radio stations have wider reach among
people in the districts bordering Nepal."
Most of Bihar's districts bordering Nepal are going to the polls
in the first four phases starting Thursday and ending Nov 1. The
remaining two phases will be over by Nov 20.
"Since campaigning is the real backbone of the polls, candidates
have been using FM radio stations operating in Nepal for it," said
Ranjeev, a social activist working in a Bihar district bordering
Nepal.
He said these private stations of Nepal are very popular among
people in small towns and rural areas along the 750-km India-Nepal
border in the state.
Election Commission officials have not taken kindly to candidates
using the Nepali air waves.
A district official in Kishanganj said the poll panel had taken
serious note of the development. It has decided to hold dialogue
with the union information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry to
restrict Nepal from airing poll advertisements on FM radio.
The 47 constituencies in Bihar's flood-prone belts will go to
polls in the first round of elections Thursday. About 10.6 million
voters will decide the fate of 635 candidates in the fray for the
first lot of the 243 assembly seats.
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