
Panchayat polls turn into cultural carnival in US Nagar
Earlier this week, former jila panchayat president and Bhangaa seat candidate Renu Gangwar organised a roadshow featuring Haryanvi pop star and dancer Sapna Choudhary, drawing massive crowds on Tuesday. "Such events help connect emotionally with the rural youth and women voters," said a campaign volunteer.
In Dopahariya, candidate Gurdas Kalra held a tractor and bullock cart rally, aiming to project a strong pro-farmer image.
The procession passed through multiple agricultural hamlets, with supporters joining in large numbers, giving the campaign the feel of a rural fair.
Meanwhile, several candidates across blocks like Kuraiya have continued using folk songs, often performed by local artists with lyrics on ploughing, sowing, and irrigation—blended with political slogans to connect with the farming community.
Others have turned to traditional performances featuring instruments like the dhol, damaru, and nagara, with supporters dancing in ethnic attire as candidates campaign on foot.
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These elements have become a daily fixture on the campaign trail in many rural pockets. Sahab Singh, a block development committee candidate from Chhatrapur, has been drawing attention by singing his own campaign songs through a loudspeaker during door-to-door visits.
Polling concluded peacefully on Thursday in Khatima, Sitarganj, Gadarpur, and Bazpur blocks. Voting in Rudrapur, Jaspur, and Kashipur is scheduled for July 28. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also cast his vote on Thursday at a govt primary school in Nagla Tarai area of Khatima. His mother, Vishna Dhami, accompanied him.

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