Lucknow: The people of Uttar Pradesh appear to be firmly in the grip of election fever. A wedding card of a young man in Patti in the Pratapgarh district stands testimony to how politics has seeped into social and family functions.
The invitation card of Abhishek Saroj’s wedding is printed in green and red – the colours of Samajwadi Party- and carries photographs of SP president Akhilesh Yadav and party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. On the inner side, photographs of local SP leaders are printed. On the last page of the invitation card, the caption “Kaam bolta hai’ is printed along with the achievements of the Akhilesh government.
There are photographs of Janeshwar Mishra Park, Medanta hospital, Lucknow Metro, new high court building, Ikana stadium, Gomti Riverfront, Lion Safari, Agra expressway, and other projects completed in the Akhilesh regime.
Abhishek Saroj, whose wedding is scheduled for November 20, has sent out more than 400 such invites. “My younger brother, Aditya Saroj, is a BDC member and he is a fan of Akhilesh Yadav. When he suggested this idea, he was very excited and I could not refuse him,” said the would-be-groom.
He further said that though almost every invitee expressed surprise at the innovative card, no one had objected. “We have invited some local BJP supporters too and they accepted the card with a smile,” he said.